Neighbors push to unplug Lights
Mayor notes significant opposition to annual Washington Park event
The future of the Capital Holiday Lights in the Park is looking dim.
Mayor Kathy Sheehan on Tuesday told the Times Union there were “significant concerns” with the annual tradition in Washington Park that go beyond traffic-clogged streets.
Every neighborhood association around the park, the mayor said, has asked to have the event eliminated.
“It’s not just the traffic; it’s not just the inconvenience — it is the wear and tear on the park that is very concerning, and it has been an ongoing problem,” Sheehan said.
The mayor has informed the Albany Police Athletic League, the sponsor and beneficiary of the event, of the view of the associations. Sheehan said she offered to facilitate meetings
between PAL and those groups.
Asked if the city would be eliminating the event, the mayor noted PAL has not applied for a permit to hold the event this year.
“We haven’t done anything because there is nothing to act on,” Sheehan said.
The mayor held a meeting requested by the presidents of all the neighborhood associations, as well as the Washington Park Conservancy, a nonprofit that preserves, protects and promotes the nearly 90-acre park, which dates to the 1870s.
“They were unanimous in saying that they did not want Lights in the Park,” Sheehan said.
The mayor said she has discussed the concerns about the lights with PAL’S executive director, Lenny Ricchiuti, over a number of years.
In an emailed statement, David Bauer, the chair of the Albany Police Athletic League Board, said, however, that on May 7, PAL submitted a permit for use of the park “in hopes that an agreeable middle ground can be reached among all parties who enjoy the lights and the park.”
Bauer said Tuesday was the first meeting of the Capital Holiday Lights Advisory Committee, created after the community concerns were raised.
“We recognize the issues, and we’re listening. We, again, invite the mayor’s office to have a representative on this committee,” Bauer said.
City Councilman Owusu Anane supported keeping the lights.
“While the Holiday Lights in the Park has been a fun holiday event in the city, we have to acknowledge that some neighbors have had issues with it,” he said. “I think we need to allow the community and the organizers of the Holiday Lights time to work out a solution that ensures that the lights stay in Washington Park that also address the concerns of the residents in the surrounding neighborhoods.”
The holiday lights program in Washington Park dates to 1997, when it included 30 displays. It recently boasted 126, attracting 100,000 to 125,000 annual visitors. The event is the primary fundraiser for PAL’S $1.2 million annual budget, which covers programs such as after-school events, child care for younger kids, teen mentoring and leadership education.
Albany County Executive Daniel Mccoy, said Washington Park was well set up for the display and he understood concerns of neighbors and was hoping for a compromise.
“The only thing that is hard is you want to highlight great things in our city that people come here to visit, to use our restaurants, to shop at our local stores,” Mccoy said.
If Holiday Lights is eliminated, Mccoy said, he hoped there was money to benefit youths aided by PAL’S programs.
He also said, “It will be truly be missed in the city.”