'Lights on Whites' Could Move to Main Street

"Lights on Whites" is a concept inspired by Allentown's Lights on the Parkway at Christmastime .

At a recent parks and recreation committee meeting, the concept, while well-received by the committee, should be done elsewhere and not a .

"We like the idea of using the park, but we like the idea of moving it to the downtown for a number of reasons. The first is the labor and the lights and what that would entail to set up the display in the park," said committee chairwoman Mary Fuller.

Fuller said the "Lights on Whites" on Main Street and Madison Avenue would connect other Christmas events like the Santa House at Railroad Plaza and the Lansdale Business Association's Festival of Trees.

"This might be the perfect connector," Fuller said. 

Light displays along Madison and Main Street would allow people to drive or walk by, and allow the borough to add on to the displays easily.

Fuller said there were concerns about safety and vandalism with the light display in Whites Road Park.

Parks director Carl Saldutti said the idea is unique and he favored the notion of the lights display connecting to other borough events along Main Street.

Saldutti said utilities director Jake Ziegler informed him it would required not only a lot of manpower to install the lights, but also up to three transformers, plus concrete footings for those transformers, and underground wiring to power all the lights.

Saldutti said borough manager Timi Kirchner believed this unique idea could boost the downtown and complement the investment and streetscapes in the business district.

"If we create something special along the Madison cartway, that ultimately could connect further down to the holiday trees," Saldutti said. "The intent is to get people in the downtown. Once that occurs, other things can be spread out to other areas."

"The idea is a splendid one," said Saldutti. "The question is where is the right spot for it?"

Later in the meeting, Saldutti said visualizing the overall experience in the parks is great.

"I don't know how feasible it would be at this time," he said.

Keith Heffintrayer said he understood the display would take a lot of work to make it well worth it.

He said the display would be meant to generate revenue for the borough and draw in people from Quakertown, Doylestown, Philadelphia and Limerick.

"If we did it (on Madison Avenue), it would be a different function," Heffintrayer said. "It would not be as grand a display to draw people into Lansdale."

Fuller said there's a possibility to relocate the display as it grows in popularity.

"I understand that we need to take small steps," said Heffintrayer. "We can't leap right in."

Fuller liked the idea of the dislay working its way out from the center of town to other parts of the borough.

"If word gets out enough," she said, "people will stop and more will come out from as far away as Philly or Quakertown."

Saldutti said the display could begin at Railroad Plaza, loop through Main Street and Madison Avenue and end at Railroad Plaza.

"You can go to any small town USA and see decorations. If they are not special, what would be the attraction?" Saldutti said. 

Saldutti said that either way an investment would need to be made.

Kristen Heffintrayer said she had quite a few ideas that would fit at Whites Road Park and have to be revisited for this new location.

Saldutti and Fuller offered the Heffintrayers the chance to walk the proposed route with them at a later date to get an idea of what it could look like come winter.

Saldutti said they should start thinking about expanding the route, for instance from Madison to Wood Street and connect it to the future Vine Street/Broad Street connector.

"The 2013 loop could be bigger and better," he said.

The Heffintrayers said money could be saved with less lights and creative uses of lights.

"You can do quite a lot with colored flood lights with uplighting trees," Kristen said. "If the community is involved, students can do big plywood cutouts. These are things that are not that costly."

Fuller said in a perfect world, Lansdale can grow to Allentown.

"Who knows?" she said. "We are at a point where it starts this year and expands."

Saldutti said the electric department would need input on this project as it moves forward, as well as the administration and finance committee.

Saldutti believed the display would be an asset to the borough in the long term, especially if it involves music from the local schools. 

He added that the ambiance of a large holiday event such as the Santa House and Festival of Trees and Christmas Tree Lighting, along with lights display, harkens back to a time in Lansdale when the community would get behind Halloween displays.

"I know the community had that in the downtown area. The store owners took pride in it," he said.

Committee member Steve Malagari asked if there was any consideration of corporate sponsorships.

"Anything to offset the cost to the borough," said Keith. "It can generate money; it all depends on how you want to approach it. If you want it to be something within the borough as an attraction, make it Lights on Whites. If you want to build on it and go outward, make it at Madison."

The Heffintrayers will revisit the idea following a tour of the downtown area and potential locations for the displays.