Saturday, August 17, 2024

BLOCK 2 SUPER BRIGHT LIGHTS HARM NEIGHBORS

It does not take a super bright high output light bulb to illuminate a Goodman House front entry door area at night.  Most HCA Member homeowners use the equivalent of a 30 watt warm color bulb that produces about 3000 lumens of light.  And that is a reasonable, sensitive, and neighborly, compromise between just enough for security and not enough to be obnoxious or harmful to neighbors.

Goodman's unique and original Mid-Century Modern winged front and rear entry light fixtures were clearly sensitive to this issue.  The closed white glass diffusing jar moderated overall bulb brightness, and custom black metal wings substantially blocked light radiating to each side.  And it made sense to use a limited output bulb because an older 100+ watt incandescent filament bulb would not only be too bright, but it would burn too hot inside the closed diffuser jar and limit its useful life if not melt or discolor a plastic replacement diffuser.  

But recent technology has made available very bright LED or CFL bulbs that do not generate much heat in a closed diffuser.  So the sky is the limit on possible brightness.

However, when either insensitive at best, or blatantly hostile at worst, 100+ watt super bright lights are not only insensitive and obnoxious in general, they can specifically harm their neighbors physically, mentally, and financially, especially when front entry lights are immediately adjacent to neighbor master bedroom windows, and even more so for elderly neighbors who inherently have more difficulty sleeping as they grow older.  Such health impacts, including sleep deprivation, can exacerbate existing medical conditions and even contribute to early death.  

Likewise, impacted neighbors should not be forced to spend hundreds of dollars on new light-blocking window coverings to counter inconsiderate bright bulb bullies.

New residents may not be fully aware of and sensitive to long-standing cluster practices, or they may selfishly just not care about their neighbors or the common good.  Such a situation is ongoing in at least one Block 2 house group.  The previous homeowner of several decades rarely turned on saw her front entry light in general, let alone using a super bright bulb.  Sadly, the new homeowner is neither as  sensitive or considerate as the previous homeowner, despite multiple polite requests to at least use a much less bright bulb.  So much for neighborly community spirit.