Local Current Events
July 5, 2026
We have some updates on the progress of our work toward protecting our dark skies.
On Tuesday July 7 VRPA Director and Town of Verona NRAC member Jo Tucker will present a slide program to the Town of Verona board to initiate discussion and action regarding Dark Sky preservation. People will have a chance to speak in support during the public comments at the very beginning of the Board meeting.
You can also email Mark Geller or Sarah Gaskell with comments. (mgeller@town.verona.wi.us or sgaskell@town.verona.wi.us)
We encourage you to attend, to comment, and send email in support of the Town addressing light pollution in our area.
We know that public comments can be very effective, as we have seen with our interactions with the City of Verona. Since our Dark Skies presentation last summer, the City has been very proactive in addressing citizen concerns about light pollution. Ardent Glen has eliminated the glaring uplighting at the entrance on Highway PD/McKee Rd.
Kickapoo Valley Dark Skies Initiative lighting expert Scott Lind, who was one of our presenters last summer, reports that Ardent Glen’s architect will be submitting a revised proposal that would eliminate all uplight and reduce the total lumens at the entry by well more than 90% if approved.
The City of Verona is also working with Lind on addressing lighting concerns and to upgrade lighting at the City Hall campus, Festival Park, and the Verona Public Library campus by replacing outdated fixtures with energy-efficient, dark sky–compliant lighting systems equipped with advanced controls. There is also some action being researched to address community concerns regarding the excessive, non-compliant street lighting along Highway PD/McKee Rd between Pleasant View Rd/Hwy M and the reengineered Country View Rd Intersections.
The City of Verona solicited the support of VRPA Director Jo Tucker to provide a letter of support for the City’s grant application for their “Outdoor Lighting Efficiency Improvements at Three City of Verona Sites” project.
Here’s Jo’s letter:
Dear OEI Grant Administrator(s):
On behalf of the Verona Rural Preservation Alliance and the Sustain Verona Dark Sky committee, I am pleased to express strong support for the City of Verona’s application to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin’s Energy Innovation Grant Program.
The proposed project, Outdoor Lighting Efficiency Improvements at Three City of Verona Sites, represents a reasoned and necessary investment in modern infrastructure. By upgrading lighting at the City Hall campus, Festival Park, and the Verona Public Library campus, this project will replace outdated fixtures with energy-efficient, dark sky–compliant lighting systems equipped with advanced controls. These improvements will enhance visibility and safety while reducing energy consumption, maintenance costs, and light pollution.
Based on past projects completed by the contracting partner to Kickapoo Valley Dark Sky Initiative we expect to see both energy savings and light pollution reductions of approximately 75% with these changes. Because outdoor lighting is only operated after dark these reductions in energy use will contribute in a disproportionately positive way to reduction of carbon-based generation sources.
These sites will be used to educate the community about best-practices for outdoor lighting and encourage replicating these results for privately-owned properties and other municipalities, thus amplifying the impact.
As an organization committed to preserving rural characteristics and habitat in the areas immediately adjacent to the City of Verona, theVerona Rural Preservation Alliance is very concerned with sustainability and the overall well-being of community and environment; we appreciate how this project aligns with our mission to promote responsible resource use and environmental stewardship. Likewise, Sustain Verona has a committee that focuses on Dark Sky preservation and education. I can speak for both groups when I say improved lighting at these highly used public sites will create safer, more welcoming spaces for residents while preserving the night sky and minimizing environmental impact.
This project demonstrates the City of Verona’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and fiscal responsibility. By delivering the right amount of light, in the right place, at the right time, these upgrades will serve as a model for efficient and environmentally responsible outdoor lighting in communities across Wisconsin.
For these reasons, Verona Rural Preservation Alliance andtheSustain Verona Dark Sky committee strongly support this application and respectfully encourage the Public Service Commission to provide funding for this important initiative.
Sincerely,
Jo C. Tucker
Director, VRPA
Member, SV Dark Sky Committee
Progress isn’t always as fast as we’d like, but your comments, letters, and calls are incredibly effective.
We urge you to keep up the pressure, it’s much easier (and less expensive) to prevent light pollution that to correct it.
Keep in touch!
January 26, 2026
Re Ardent Glen Development
We’ve been notified that the Ardent Glen subdivision has requested approval for adding dwelling units to the currently approved plan. They propose to add 19 “alley products” to the previously approved plan, which would create more alley style homes. Our review of the Veridian submittal shows these will be north of the area that is currently under construction. The changes will go before the Verona City Plan Commission on February 2, 2026 at 6:30p. If you have opinions on this, please consider sending emails to the City Plan Commission Council and/or speaking at the hearing.
https://www.veronawi.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/2537?html=true
Re: Concerns about New Development lighting
We’ve always had concerns about the high density of dwelling units in this rural area. Neighbors have already experienced significant increases in traffic, noise, and night lighting The night lighting has become an issue of great concern to many in the area and we are hearing lots of complaints about it. We’ve seen entrance lights of excessive brightness, lots of uplighting, and a very unpleasantly bright addition to the countryside for neighbors and passersby.
The current Ardent Glen entrance and lighting appears to have been implemented without community input or regard to applicable ordinances. This must be addressed before any changes or additions to the current plan are considered. There is a well-known lighting expert willing to work with folks in our area. We feel Veridian should hire him and we would like to see this process start soon before more units are added.
Comments and complaints regarding the Ardent Glen lighting should be directed to City Administrator Jaime Aulik. He attended the Dark Sky meeting last summer and at that meeting he stated that the city reviews lighting problems based on domestic complaints. We urge you to contact him with your concerns at 608 845 6495 or jaulik@veronawi.gov.
Uplighting at Ardent Glen entry
Half a mile northeast view of entry lights
Re Verona High School solar panel project
Our fellow sustainability advocates at SustainVerona have mounted a drive to raise funds for a project to combat climate change. They are asking donors to contribute toward the installation of a 500-panel, 300-kilowatt solar array on Verona Area High School. This project is a collaboration between SustainVerona, the Verona Area Education Foundation, and the Verona Area School District. The goal of SustainVerona is to raise $250,000 to match the Verona Area School District’s contribution.
Climate change remains one of the most urgent challenges of our time. Oceans are warming, glaciers are melting, and severe weather events are becoming more frequent. While national action is inconsistent, communities like ours can take meaningful steps toward solutions. This project makes a difference by doing the following:
- Reducing Carbon Emissions. The solar panels will prevent more than 200 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year—that’s over 6,000 tons across their 30-year lifetime. What does this mean in everyday terms?
- Annual savings (200 tons CO₂): equal to taking 46 gas-powered cars off the road for one year, powering 25 homes for a year, or planting 3,000 tree seedlings.
- Lifetime savings (6,000 tons CO₂): equal to taking 1,400 gas-powered cars off the road for a year, powering 800 homes for a year, or planting 100,000 tree seedlings.
- Saving Money. By generating its own electricity, the school will save nearly $1 million in utility costs over the system’s lifetime. By year 15, the project will have paid for itself—freeing up funds for teacher salaries, school programs, and student resources.
- Inspiring the Community. This project demonstrates that clean energy is not only possible but practical. Students and community members will see firsthand how local action can shape a sustainable future.
If you would like to donate, use this link:
Update on Phase 6 of Sewer Interceptor Project
We requested a status update from MMSD recently on the sewer interceptor construction between Shady Oak Lane and Midtown Road and we learned the following:
- Schedule: Construction was completed last year along Shady Oak Lane, up the ravine, and through the farm field. Construction continued in December south of Midtown Road, and after a break will start back up in March or April to cross Midtown Road and head east towards the Midtown Lift Station where they will make the final connection. It will take a couple of days to cross Midtown Road and all the remaining pipe should be installed by approximately mid-May.
- Rock Excavation: There was some rock excavation in the ravine but no blasting. The rock in the ravine, especially at the top of the ravine, was fairly hard. They used a large concrete hammer attached to the excavator to break the rock. It was slow going (and probably noisy for residents nearby) but they did not want to do any blasting at least partly because they were well aware of resident concerns. In the current work area farther north toward Midtown Road there has been no rock excavation. Under Shady Oak Lane a weathered, layered rock surface was encountered but it was soft enough to remove with an excavator.
- Groundwater Quality: One of the concerns expressed by many neighbors near the project was that construction, particularly rock excavation and/or blasting, would affect the water quality in our wells. MMSD identified 8 wells they would monitor before and after construction, and recommended additional monitoring during construction if any issues were noted with the well water. MMSD has reported that no one contacted them during construction with any issues. The post construction samples have not been taken yet. We think it was well worth the time people took to discuss their concerns about water quality, and we hope the remaining samples show no issues.
As always, we welcome your feedback on these updates and we’re always happy to hear your comments and concerns about what happens in our community.
Please don’t hesitate to keep in touch; you can reach us at:
shadyoak@earthlink.net
July 16, 2025
Save Our Skies, a panel discussion organized by Sustain Verona and VRPA met at the Lakeridge Bank in Verona on July 15. About 20+ audience members heard presentations from:
Natasha Horsfall, Sustain Verona committee member, moderator
John Rummel, Vice President of Dark Skies Wisconsin, on the importance of reducing light pollution
Scott Lind, Electrical Engineer and outdoor lighting expert on types of lighting and how to choose options that preserve dark skies
Jamie Aulik, COV Administrator on the City of Verona’s policies and options for addressing light pollution
Caryl Owen, VRPA Director and Town of Verona resident on ToV’s Dark Skies ordinance and on the impact of lighting changes from a personal and neighborhood perspective
Following the presentations there were a number of questions from audience members and some lively discussion of local issues. Scott and John presented excellent slide shows and have made them available on the Dark Skies website, you can find them here:
For issues with City of Verona light pollution, Jaime Aulik said that the City’s responses are complaint-driven, and that he is willing to help residents resolve problems.
He can be contacted at jaime_aulik@ci.verona.wi.us or 608-845-6495