Leander City Council gave the green light Feb. 19 to move forward with an application to be recognized as an International Dark Sky Place by nonprofit organization DarkSky International.
Some context
An International Dark Sky Community is a legally organized entity that has shown dedication to preserving quality views of the night sky by reducing light pollution, according to Community Impact’s previous reporting.
According to DarkSky International, light pollution also damages ecosystems in many ways, including making it difficult for animals to hide from predators and disrupting bird migration patterns.
The Dark Sky Places program “certifies communities, parks and protected areas around the world that preserve and protect dark sites through responsible lighting policies and public education,” the program’s website states.
The organization aims “to restore the nighttime environment and protect communities and wildlife from light pollution.”
Several other cities in Central Texas are already designated Dark Sky Places, including Liberty Hill, Bee Cave and Dripping Springs.
What happened
City Council approved the application by a 6-1 vote, with council member Annette Sponseller voting against the initiative.
“My concern is the return on investment for three years of work for our city staff. This is a lot of time,” Sponseller said. “I think that the potential downside is huge. Our staff has so many priorities. We have much more mission-critical priorities, I believe, than this initiative. I would much rather see that time spent helping our small businesses open and expand than work on a dark sky community.”
Other council members spoke in support of the Dark Sky Place application. Council members Stephen Chang and Natomi Blair called dark skies a long-term quality of life issue.
“Awareness of our surroundings and awareness of nature is very, very important to our mental health,” council member Andrew Naudin added.
Mayor Na’Cole Thompson noted that if the project became “too cumbersome,” the initiative could come back to council for re-evaluation.
“That’s the beauty of the work that we do, is balancing and being able to do multiple things that are important at one time, and I think our staff is capable of doing that. I’m looking forward to moving forward with this,” Thompson said.
What’s next
Robin Griffin, executive director of development services for the city of Leander, said council members will have a workshop with city staff to discuss the details of the city’s dark sky regulations and any potential impacts on local businesses, according to an interview with Community Impact ahead of the Feb. 19 meeting.
Michael Chenausky, senior planner with the Leander Development Services, said representatives from Dark Sky International told city staff to expect a timeline of about two years from the initial application to official recognition.