Narrative:

The city has built a new rental car parking lot -- northeast of the tower and directly west of the approach end of runway 19L. They have installed some type of lighting that reflects off the ground surface as well as diffusing light into the sky directly above this parking lot. On this date; all the parking lights were on restricting my visibility of the taxiway (foxtrot and echo) directly east of the parking lot. It also restricted my visibility of the approach end and north 1/4 of runway 19L. I had a very difficult time seeing the aircraft in this location due to the extreme brightness of the lights. As of today's date; the rental car parking lot is not open for business and most nights the city has the lights turned off on the south and east side of the lot. My concern is when the parking lot is operational and all the lights are on. We have seen how bad visibility is during high moisture and dark periods when they've had all the lights on. The visibility from the tower of the txwys and runway is unacceptable when the lights are all on. Corrective actions -- work with the city to either redirect; tone down; or replace these lights so that the visibility of the txwys and runway is not compromised.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MCI CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING NEW CAR RENTAL FACILITY LIGHTING THAT INTERFERES WITH VISIBILITY FROM THE TOWER.

Narrative: THE CITY HAS BUILT A NEW RENTAL CAR PARKING LOT -- NE OF THE TWR AND DIRECTLY W OF THE APCH END OF RWY 19L. THEY HAVE INSTALLED SOME TYPE OF LIGHTING THAT REFLECTS OFF THE GND SURFACE AS WELL AS DIFFUSING LIGHT INTO THE SKY DIRECTLY ABOVE THIS PARKING LOT. ON THIS DATE; ALL THE PARKING LIGHTS WERE ON RESTRICTING MY VISIBILITY OF THE TXWY (FOXTROT AND ECHO) DIRECTLY E OF THE PARKING LOT. IT ALSO RESTRICTED MY VISIBILITY OF THE APCH END AND N 1/4 OF RWY 19L. I HAD A VERY DIFFICULT TIME SEEING THE ACFT IN THIS LOCATION DUE TO THE EXTREME BRIGHTNESS OF THE LIGHTS. AS OF TODAY'S DATE; THE RENTAL CAR PARKING LOT IS NOT OPEN FOR BUSINESS AND MOST NIGHTS THE CITY HAS THE LIGHTS TURNED OFF ON THE SOUTH AND EAST SIDE OF THE LOT. MY CONCERN IS WHEN THE PARKING LOT IS OPERATIONAL AND ALL THE LIGHTS ARE ON. WE HAVE SEEN HOW BAD VISIBILITY IS DURING HIGH MOISTURE AND DARK PERIODS WHEN THEY'VE HAD ALL THE LIGHTS ON. THE VISIBILITY FROM THE TWR OF THE TXWYS AND RWY IS UNACCEPTABLE WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE ALL ON. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS -- WORK WITH THE CITY TO EITHER REDIRECT; TONE DOWN; OR REPLACE THESE LIGHTS SO THAT THE VISIBILITY OF THE TXWYS AND RWY IS NOT COMPROMISED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.