The City of New Westminster is striving to be equitable with decorative lighting in commercial areas.
The Downtown New Westminster Business Improvement Association and the Uptown Business Association recently asked the city to help cover the costs of renting and installing holiday lighting, including a 38-foot tree with lights in Hyack Square and lights on street poles along Sixth Avenue and Sixth Street in Uptown. Council referred the matter back to staff, noting that the 12th Street and Sapperton business areas may also want to decorate the streets with holiday lighting.
"It is seeming like all four areas are going to go forward," Coun. Betty McIntosh told The Record.
A staff report recently presented to council recommended that the city contribute $3,000 to $5,000 to the business associations in the downtown, uptown, Sapperton and West End areas, as this would make the lighting contributions equitable for all four commercial areas. Staff recommended that the decorative lighting be cost-shared 50/50 between the city and each business association.
Last year, the City of New Westminster and the Downtown New Westminster Business Improvement Association shared the cost of installing a 38-foot tree in Hyack Square and lights on poles in the area. The Uptown Business Association paid for shooting star lighting on street poles in the uptown and a tree on top of Blenz.
The large Christmas tree that was set up in Hyack Square last Christmas was featured in a tree-lighting ceremony held at the conclusion of the Santa Claus Parade of Lights.
According to the staff report, the total cost to the city of the proposed lighting would be between $14,170 and $20,000, plus tax. This includes lights on street poles in the four commercial areas and the Christmas tree in Hyack Square.
"We will have the electrical department do the usual two trees - the one at Moody Park and the one at Herbert Spencer Elementary," McIntosh added. "The staff are still working on the swag lights on Columbia Street."
