BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — For more than seventy years the streetlights on Oleander Avenue in Central Bakersfield have been the same, but the city is using federal funds for a project that will improve the streetlights making them brighter and more energy efficient.
“In Oleander we have some incredible homes and a great historic community but some streets are poorly lit,” said Councilmember Andrae Gonzales.
A new project is adding light to a historic neighborhood in Central Bakersfield.
“Many of them are deteriorating, these light have been in existence now for more than seventy years and so many of them are rusting.”
The current historic streetlights are hard for the city to maintain because the existing lighting systems are much like Christmas lights – if one dies, they all go out.
The new project will improve the light quality and make these street lights energy efficient.
There will be 25 new high voltage streetlights with 32 new decorative, LED light posts replaces around Beale Park just off Palm and Oleander Avenue.
Patrick Fograty has been an Oleander Resident for more than 30 years and says there is a streetlight right in front of his home and believes the new project will help keep the neighborhood safe.
“I think the city has done a great job at selecting a fixture that still keeps the look of the old fixture as well as the character and with the new led lighting, I think it will be very positive look and feel for the neighborhood and provide more safety,” said Fograty.
Gonzales says they are hoping to replace the lights with a similar historic look and will begin the project in spring of 2019.
“Have a design that is somewhat charming and appealing to the residents and replace those as soon as we can to improve the safety of the neighborhood and improve lighting in the neighborhood,” said Gonzales.
The project is expected to happen in Spring 2019 and will take about three months to complete.
