A Master Plan for Courthouse Village - College of Humanities and ...

Lighting/Overhead Utilities
The County plans to continue gradually installing
historic-styled lighting to replace the utilitarian street
lighting around the Courthouse Square and along
Route 6/522 in front of the Square. Pedestrianscaled,
historically-themed streetlights (Figure 22)
should be used throughout the Village, especially
alongside of roads where sidewalks and commercial
activity exist.
Overhead utility lines, including electric, telephone,
CATV and others create visual clutter, compete with
other design features and detract from the overall
aesthetic character of an area. This is especially
true along pedestrian-scaled corridors. Installing
underground utilities as an option to overhead lines
is an expensive proposition. However, there are several factors that can be used
to help justify the conversion. Overhead utility lines, although cheaper to
construct, are more susceptible to the physical elements and can be damaged,
can cause damage, or necessitate the unsightly mutilation of trees planted
beneath them, as is illustrated in figure 23. Additionally, “underground utilities
can help promote the economic development value and historic character of the
area” (PDC, 2000: 25). Therefore, “in addition to current plans, as overhead utility
upgrades are made to the area, the County may wish to work more closely with
Virginia Power and other service providers to consider the gradual phase-out of
utility poles and overhead lines” (PDC, 2000: 25).
Figure 23: Mutilated Trees Planted under Power Lines
Figure 22: Historically-themed
streetlight
A Master Plan for Courthouse Village Page 62 of 96
Spring, 2006
Goochland County