Mill Creek Park, Bakersfield, Calif.

Mill Creek Park in Bakersfield, Calif. switched to 90-watt LEDs. The luminaires (ANP Lighting) are cast aluminum clamshell lanterns atop 5-in. round, 12-ft. fluted poles with twin arm assemblies.

Central Park in Bakersfield, Calif. used to be an ugly ducking of a park. It evolved from a dirt-lined irrigation canal and abandoned industrial sites. The original park was split in two by the canal, which was fenced off with chain-link.

Now, renovated and renamed Mill Creek Park, there?EUR??,,????'???s a lake with fountains and the chain link has made way for decorative guardrails. The covered bridge crossing Mill Creek is a Wi-Fi hotspot. Benches, restrooms and the playground have all been upgraded, and the park now hosts a Farmers?EUR??,,????'??? Market.

For the lighting in the park, the city worked with ANP Lighting. The city required a specific bollard, base and luminaire to closely match an existing streetscape. In phase I of the park project, 100-watt metal halides were installed.

During phase II work, however, Bill McClure, a public works engineer, worked with ANP Lighting to analyze the return on investment of LED versus metal halide. After qualifying for a Pacific Gas and Electric rebate, following an approval by the Designlights Consortium and a substantial savings in electrical conductor costs, the city went with the efficiency of LEDs, estimating a cost recovery in just over 19 months, without sacrificing the original product match specifications.