In a subdivision of mansions near where I live, an enormous house is under construction, which I can see through the trees from my more modest perch.

The scale of all the big houses one street over never ceases to surprise me. Each of them is bigger than the branch office where I do my banking. The garages have more square footage than my living room.

I cringe to think of what the oil and electric bills might look like.

There are few children living on the street. There must be more empty bedrooms there than in some Mystic hotels on a winter weeknight.

I was surprised by the appearance of this newest mansion, because I thought the real estate trend was toward downsizing. It took the better part of a summer of dynamite blasting to create a big enough crater in the ledge to accommodate its enormous foundation.

And now, as it seems to be lumbering toward completion, its wide, many-windowed facade towering over the sidewalk, it is connected to the power grid and demonstrating that the total excess didn't stop with lighting design.

The first night it lit up, I was stunned.

I walked over and it was a bit like standing at center field at Fenway Park during a night game. I counted more than 30 separate lights ringing the sides of the house you can see from the street.

I couldn't help but think of a forward-thinking seminar held recently by the town's planning department, to discuss the issue of dark skies and what new lighting regulations the town might consider to tame the problem of light pollution.

Here, I thought, is Exhibit A, although most of the planning discussion is focused on excess commercial lighting.

I live in a neighborhood away from the new lightship, and some strategic blind closing will probably shield me from the worst of it. But I am sad for the immediate neighbors who can't escape.

I wonder if they will ever again be able to look out the window to see a full moon?

I had a chat with Stonington Director of Planning Jason Vincent, who said the town is still in the exploratory stage of considering new light regulations. He referred me to Leo Smith, regional director for the International Dark Sky Association, who spoke at the April seminar here.

Smith told me New England states are making progress in taming light pollution. Lowe's hardware stores even now have a good neighbor lighting section, he said, to help homeowners choose exterior lights that shine down.

The state building code has been amended to adopt regulations that require shielded down lighting with wattage controls for new commercial exterior lighting.

Smith said the emphasis on change has been focused on public and commercial lighting, but excess residential lighting is coming under more scrutiny and eventually will likely be more widely regulated.

Advocates for light controls point out that shielded lights don't cost more money to buy and are cheaper to operate. Studies also have shown, they say, that extra lighting doesn't necessarily make an area more safe.

Do you want to light the way for intruders or make them stand out by using a flashlight?

On the International Dark Sky Association website is a page titled "My Neighbor's Lighting," which suggests tactful ways you might ask your neighbor to turn them down.

"Make friends, not enemies. Your neighbors probably don't even realize their lighting is bothersome," the association suggests.

Maybe I should pass out the good neighbor lighting tips to my nearby neighbors who are no longer in the shadows.

Of course it's possible that, when the owners of the new lightship move in, they will be blinded, too, and hit the switch all on their own.

This is the opinion of David Collins.

d.collins@theday.com