HARTFORD, Wis. — A Hartford man says a bright light attached to a nearby apartment complex is shining into his yard, disrupting his sleep and forcing him to cover his back windows.
Doug Higley reached out to Washington County reporter Marcus Aarsvold to share his complaint about the light, which he said has been an issue for about two years on Monroe Ave and Wheelock Ave.
"It's like being under searchlights," Higley said. "It is affecting my sleep and well being."
Higley said the light impedes onto his property beyond what is allowed and has affected his quality of life.
"It's very unnerving. It's getting to me, affecting my sleep and well-being," he said. "So, now I'm not able to have coffee in the morning or use my backyard at night. It's been like that on and off for the last two years."
Watch: Hartford resident shares complaint about apartment complex light, saying it disrupts his daily life
Higley said he has complained to both the apartment's landlord and the city of Hartford, but feels his concerns have not been taken seriously.
The landlord declined to speak on camera but said the light is necessary for security, shining on the parking lot to prevent car break-ins — something the landlord says has increased in recent years. The landlord also said they are complying with Higley and the city.
"It's a simple fix," Higley said. "Put the light in the position, fix it into place and done! I shouldn't have to go through this for this many years."
City Administrator Steve Volkert said recent, thick wildfire smoke prevented them from testing the light earlier, but the city plans to be out to take a look at it Monday.
The issue regarding light pollution was addressed by our Planning Dept. They had requested a solution to the issue from the neighboring property owner. We had given them time to come into compliance. The deadline occurred when we had the heavy smoke thus we couldn’t test to determine if it had indeed been remedied. My City Planner is on vacation this week and once he return and the smoke has all cleared, we can test for compliance. Our goal is to always work with property owners in an effort to get compliance vs simply penalizing.
"A simple fix, put it in place and done!" Higley said. "That's all that I need! It doesn't need to turn into this big deal like it's been turned into."
Other neighbors declined to speak on camera but said they do not have issues with the light.
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