Wegmans is changing the pulsating blue light on its new Auburn parking-lot security cameras after city officials said it violated local lighting rules.
The light was switched off Wednesday, Nov. 11, and is expected to return within a week or two with modifications, Auburn Senior Planner Ashley Teucke told The Citizen. It will no longer pulsate and will be shielded to reduce its visibility.
The cameras were installed several weeks ago on a pole near the center of the supermarket’s Loop Road parking lot. Their bright blue light drew complaints on social media.
Evelyn Ingram, Wegmans’ director of community and media relations for Central New York, told the newspaper the light was intended to make the cameras noticeable. She said similar equipment at other locations has helped reduce safety and security incidents.
Auburn’s outdoor lighting rules prohibit flashing, rotating or pulsating lights on outdoor signs and other lighting devices, except those intended to warn of hazards or danger. The code also requires fixtures to limit glare and direct light away from neighboring properties and the night sky.
Teucke said Wegmans agreed to switch off the light after learning about the restriction and was cooperating with the city on the changes.
The installation follows broader questions about Wegmans’ use of facial-recognition technology in some stores. Earlier this year, the company said it used that technology at a limited number of higher-risk locations to identify people associated with previous misconduct, drawing concerns from lawmakers and cybersecurity experts.
The information disclosed about Auburn’s new parking-lot cameras does not establish that they use facial recognition. The modifications described by city officials concern the accompanying blue light.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to news@fingerlakes1.com.