ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — The future of Nights of Lights in St. Augustine was the main topic of discussion at Monday’s city commission meeting.

While the beloved holiday light display brings tourists from all over the world, people who live in the city say it’s become a big safety concern over the years.

“The Nights of Lights in the beginning they were lovely,” Isabelle Dixon, who’s lived in St Augustine for 40 years, said. “Now they’re a horror. They’re the nights of frights.”

“We had five tour guides who left during nights of lights, they quit,” said one tour guide.

“The traffic is incredible,” David Abraham, another St. Augustine resident, said. “The Nights of Lights is completely out of hand.”

Several St. Augustine residents and employees expressed the hardships they’ve encountered during the holiday lighting display that draws in thousands of tourists at the commission meeting.

“I don’t believe we as citizens should create an environment in our own city that’s unwelcoming to us but welcoming to people who live outside the city,” Abraham said.

St. Augustine City Manager David Birchim pointed out not just traffic concerns during the 65 day long light display.

There are also long shuttle travel times, emergency response delays, overcrowding, and a lack of restrooms. 

“If we assume these large crowds are the new normal, we need to know what kind of resources we need from now on, for all of our events,” Birchim said.

Birchim did have solutions to these problems. He recommends blocking vehicular traffic on cathedral street, leasing the bank of america parking lot to add additional restrooms, designating uber drop off zones, and more security.

Mayor Nancy Sikes-Kline and commissioners approved Birchim’s short term recommendations, while also making some of their own, such as adding a consultant and task force team to help with the process.

“We can support Nights of Lights, but still have a city that’s welcoming and loving to the rest of us,” said one resident.

Birchim wants to try these short-term recommendations that were approved on the next big holiday, the 4th of July.

The mayor also said discussions will begin with the St. Johns County Tourist Development Council to ask for funding for solutions that were discussed Monday.