Decorative Lighting

The City of Edmonton offers decorative streetlight options for neighbourhoods that are to be reconstructed. As opposed to the current standard galvanized streetlights, decorative streetlights have features that include colour, pole styles, and pole arm types.

Please note that decorative streetlight poles must be installed for the entire neighbourhood.

About the Program

Decorative street lighting work is subject to the approval of the Local Improvement Bylaw. Streetlights with standard galvanized poles are replaced; this option carries no cost to the homeowners. However, property owners can also opt for decorative street lighting. The cost of decorative street lighting, only the incremental amount over and above the cost of standard galvanized poles, is paid by property owners.

Decorative Street Lighting Brochure

The Local Improvement Process

A local improvement can be initiated by the City of Edmonton based on an infrastructure assessment and the need for repairs or replacement. Alternatively, it can be initiated by property owners via an Expression of Interest (EOI), where they must prove majority support (over 51%) in order for the local improvement to move forward.

Specific procedures and timelines vary depending upon the type of local improvement. The City mails such details to property owners in a Local Improvement Notice. Once the notice is issued, residents have 30 days to petition against the local improvement. A majority of the affected residents need to sign the petition in order to defeat the local improvement.

Outcomes

• If the petition against the project is unsuccessful, City Council approves a Local Improvement Bylaw, after which construction must proceed within three years.
• If the petition against the project is successful, the proposed improvement does not proceed.

Costs and Cost Sharing

Local improvements are often carried out in conjunction with other major construction work in a neighbourhood. Since local improvements benefit a neighbourhood more than the municipality as a whole, a portion of these costs are covered by neighbourhood property owners.

If a neighbourhood opts for decorative streetlights, the property owners are responsible to pay 100 per cent of the cost over and above the cost of replacing the streetlights with standard galvanized poles.

Property owners have two payment options:

• Lump sum payment

  The full cost is paid at one time.

• Local Improvement tax

  The full cost is amortized over 20 years, with the payments are added to your property taxes. Funding for these projects is borrowed from the Province, with the cost of borrowing passed on to those who amortize their payments as interest. The tax stays with the property. Should you move, the payments become the responsibility of the new owner.

For more information:

Transportation Operations