Photo by Sam McIntosh.

Residents’ concerns about the new Kalona Community Center’s exterior lighting were expressed at the recent city council meeting.

Residents Al Dehogues and Rachel Gilliam spoke during the public forum about the brightness of the community center sign, sidewalk lights, and an Alliant Energy light pole on the east side of the building spilling out onto their properties. Gilliam shared how the lighting has affected her family, “So before with just the streetlamp it was perfectly lit in that little area, but now with all three of them I actually have to put something over my son’s curtains to kind of darken his room because he sleeps on the south end of the house.”

Dehogues says the lights are so bright that he can perform yard work at night. The residents asked for a solution such as turning the lights off at night. Council member Mark Robe insisted that the sidewalk lights be kept on for safety. City Administrator Ryan Schlabaugh said the sidewalk lights can be dimmed but the sign cannot. The council agreed to try dimming the sidewalk lights at 50% and keeping the sign turned off between the hours of 9 p.m. and dawn, and later review the situation with the residents.