Highland city officials hope to brighten the city's once-thriving historic district by installing street light fixtures with an early 20th-century design.

After months of planning and discussion, the Highland Historic and Cultural Preservation Board settled on a design Thursday night for the fixtures that will go in the historic district, bounded by Pacific and Fisher streets and Church and Cole avenues.

Choosing from among eight to 10 design options offered by Southern California Edison, which owns and maintains light posts in Highland, the board chose a green concrete-and-fiberglass model called Carpinteria. The poles, which are about 22 feet tall and have a teardrop-shaped fixture, cost $1,678 each.

Assistant Planner Mamun Faruque said the board's decision will go to the City Council for approval next month. The council also will decide how many are needed and where they will be placed.

Faruque said the board, which has had four meetings on the subject since last August, was looking for a model that best matched the designs of the early 20th century, when the district was the booming center of town.

The board also has discussed installing period street benches and will tackle that decision next, Faruque said.

The project is the latest effort to revitalize the historic area. Last year, the city repaved Palm Avenue, which runs through the middle of the district.

More recently, the city began working on an application to place the district on the National Register of Historic Places.

Iola Threatt, vice chairwoman of the historic board, said residents should see a real improvement with the changes.

"I think we'll end up with a really neat historic district," Threatt said.

Imran Ghori can be reached at ighori@pe.com or (909) 792-9484.

Published 4/8/2000