As part of the consent agenda at Tuesday’s meeting of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners, a new Street Light District was approved along a stretch of Cooper Lake Road between Weaver and Daniel streets.

Under the county’s Street Light Ordinance residents can petition for the installation of street lights, and the petition is successful if 75 percent of affected property owners agree to the installation.

In the case of the Cooper Lake Road Street Light District there are 17 properties along the roadway, and 14 owners (or 82 percent) were in favor of the creation of the district.

The street lights will be installed on existing poles.

The agenda item described the funding for the new street lights as follows:

Street Light District Program operational costs are supported by the revenue generated from monthly street light service charges assessed to all properties within approved Street Light Districts. Upon activation of lighting in this new district, the current monthly street light service charge will be assessed by the Cobb County Water System for each property within the new district. At this time, the rate for this service is $3.80 per month, as approved by the Board of Commissioners on February 27, 2018. These charges will generate revenue to support the additional operational costs.

About the county’s Street Light District program

Cobb County’s Transportation website describes the county’s Street Light Districts as follows:

Street Light  Program (Street Light Districts/Pedestrian Lighting Districts)

Governed by a Street Light Ordinance and Pedestrian Lighting Ordinance, this program provides for the creation of street light districts through a lighting plan development and review process and though coordination with developers and/or neighborhood groups. Districts are typically neighborhoods or sections of roadways where lighting is provided for the primary benefit of a defined group of property owners. In these areas, street light districts are formed with each property owner within the district incurring a fee for the service. 

Lighting districts are formed under two scenarios: 

• A new neighborhood or developer-built roadway to be dedicated to the county is required to form a lighting district
• A property owner successfully petitions the county to have street lights installed and has approval from at least 75 percent of lot owners impacted