Dark skies advocate holds patent on light-reduction device

Susan Harder, the most well known advocate for so-called “dark skies” legislation on the East End, holds a patent for an attachment that is a key component in new lighting regulations being considered by the Town Board.

Several years ago, Ms. Harder, of the Long Island Dark Sky Society, gave a presentation to the board at the invitation of Councilwoman Chris Lewis on the benefits of regulating commercial and residential lighting.

According to the U.S. Patent Office, Ms. Harder was granted patent number 6,497,501 in December 2002 for a visor that can be clipped to the lip of a “PAR bulb,” or a light used for outdoor commercial and residential lighting. The purpose of the visor is to direct light down and to the sides rather than up.

In the proposed dark skies legislation the Town Board is considering, it states, “Any lamp installed on a residential property must be a fully shielded light fixture …”

Richard Kelly, a resident speaking from the audience at Tuesday’s Town Board work session asked Ms. Lewis if she had any “relationship” with Ms. Harder. Ms. Lewis, who has been the most vocal proponent for the proposed legislation, forcefully answered there was no relationship whatsoever. She took exception to any implications Mr. Kelly was making.

“If your even so slightly veiled implication is I originated this to sell more visors for Susan Harder, let me be explicitly clear,” Ms. Lewis said. “I wouldn’t know Susan Harder if I fell over her and I sure as hell didn’t know she had a patent on shielded light fixtures. So be very careful.”

Ms. Harder, reached at her East Hampton home, said her patent for a light visor that casts light down had no commercial benefit to her. “I give them away,” she said, directing anyone to the Group for the East End in Southold where free lighting visors are available. “It’s not commercial in any way,” Ms. Harder said. “It costs me money.”

She has appeared before every Town Board of the five East End towns over the years pushing for dark skies legislation. Shelter Island is the only hold out against regulations.

The issue met with stiff opposition when Ms. Harder appeared here several years ago ago, but has been reenergized by the proposed law drafted by Town Attorney Laury Dowd at the request of the Zoning Board of Appeals. For months the issue has been heatedly contested among Town Board members and residents.

After the meeting Mr. Kelly said “the steering of private contracts by elected officials is not unheard of in Suffolk County.”

Ms. Lewis responded: “Of course it’s not unheard of. It’s not unheard of for public officials to expose themselves in public places, but I didn’t do that either. It’s absurd.”

Mr. Kelly said he wanted to be clear about his exchange with Ms. Lewis. “I am not making any accusations about Christine Lewis,” he said.

But he added he was having a hard time with Ms. Lewis’ response that she “wouldn’t know Susan Harder if she tripped over her.”

Ms. Lewis said Mr. Kelly was reckless. “He’s treading on very dangerous ground here,” she said. “You’d have to be asleep not to miss the implication of his statement.”

She reiterated that the only time she met or spoke with Ms. Harder was when she appeared at the town board several years ago.