Hi Roger -- Good to have you back.
As Scott points out, safety vs. historic is a false choice. Not difficult to do both, if done right from the get-go.
Mistake was made back in 1999/2000 when the Commission slipped the Chama Shop electrical upgrade project through the NM SHPO without disclosing that the work would include that specific choice of external lights in what seemed to be a project to upgrade the internal electrical system (I still have a copy of the electrical contractor's proposal by the way).
Now the lights are in place, and who wants to pay for
better task lighting that would be historic in appearance as well as promote safety. By "task lighting" I mean lights that illuminate running gear and other mechanicals at better angles than the present mall-lot lights.
Roger, I wonder what your photos might look like if taken at night fro the same vantage points on Terrance Ave.?