Village looks to end of September for new streetlight installation

Valley Stream’s proposed replacement of its streetlights with new energy-efficient LED lights may begin in late September, pending the village board’s approval of financing at its Aug. 18 business meeting.

All of Valley Stream’s nearly 3,000 lights will be replaced once the project is complete, which is expected to take up to a year, said Tom McAleer, superintendent of buildings. The work was originally expected to last six months, but will take longer because a large portion will be done in the winter months, he said.

The project’s $4.5 million price tag includes roughly $800,000 in interest on the village’s loan, but energy savings created by the more efficient LED bulbs are expected to offset the cost by covering the yearly payments. The village will have had a year’s worth of energy savings once the first payment is due, according to village spokesperson Barbara DeGrace.

The village spends more than $500,000 annually on electricity by way of streetlights and all village facilities, according to Mike Fox, village treasurer. Of the street lighting costs, the village expects to save about 54 percent.

The project’s proposal, approved in January, includes several other projects, including new lighting at the Department of Public Works garage, weather stripping around doors at municipal buildings, upgrades to heating systems and solar panels on the roof of the John Smith Bandshell. They are also intended to shave energy costs, with the weather stripping expected to save as much as $10,000 per year and new heating systems at the pool complex and Village Hall expected to save $4,000 per year, according to Thomas Burke of Johnson Controls, the company doing the installations.

The company signed a similar contract with the Village of Lynbrook in 2011.