by Ken Katz
Under the supervision of Craig Pon, a City of Oakland Capital Improvement Project Coordinator, an almost complete overhaul of the lighting systems at Splash Pad Park was launched yesterday. The initial $35,000 in funding from a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) was facilitated by Councilmember Nikki Fortunao Bas. In order to complete the full scope of work required, Craig was able to access an additional $90,000 from Minor Capital Improvement Project funds.
The work list includes the following:
- Remove the heads on the six existing light poles and replace them with LED fixtures that are brighter but use less energy (45 watts vs. 250). The LED lamps are also longer-lasting, which will reduce maintenance costs. The old head being removed is on the right. The new one is in the center.
- Install five additional matching light poles, one of which will be replacing a light pole that was demolished in an accident four years ago. The other four are going to replace the original bollard lights that kept falling over and didn’t provide much in the way of additional lighting.
- Revamp the Names in Lights panels in the main plaza that stopped operating a couple of years ago. This lighting is also being converted to LED.
- Replace the spot lights in the fountain.
FYI: The Names in Lights panels weren’t yet completed when the park opened in October 2003. The 3-foot-tall light switch has been used only once previously and that was for the official dedication some six months later. When we are no longer having to social distance ourselves, how about planning on an encore?