PHOTO #1: A recently installed LED street light shines at Queen City Park.
PHOTO #2: The new LED street lights at Queen City Park and Pine Street Park are equipped with solar panels.
The future of Victoria’s parks is looking bright after Parks & Recreation installed new solar-powered LED lights at Queen City Park and Pine Street Park.
The project aligns with the goals of the newly adopted Parks & Recreation master plan. During the development of the plan, residents identified security features such as cameras and lighting as a top priority.
Parks & Recreation will use the plan as a guide to improve lighting in existing parks and ensure adequate lighting at upcoming facilities, such as the dog park and the redesigned duck pond.
The new lights—seven in Queen City Park and three in Pine Street Park—were funded through the community development block grant program. This federal program funds projects that contribute to equitable development, another goal of the master plan and the 2035 Comprehensive Plan.
“Sufficient lighting plays an important role in improving safety,” said Assistant City Manager Mike Etienne. “The City will continue to pursue grant funding and other resources to help us enhance livability by upgrading our lighting.”
Trish Hastings, executive director of Christ’s Kitchen near Queen City Park, thanked the City for the lighting improvements in the area.
“We are thrilled with the new lighting, and we look forward to joining the City in making the area a safer and more beautiful space,” Hastings said.
In addition to improving lighting in parks, the City is in the process of applying for a $1.6 million grant to replace more than 4,000 amber-colored high pressure sodium street lights with brighter, more efficient LED lighting.
For more information about the Parks & Recreation master plan, visit www.victoriatx.gov/parks-master-plan.