CONTROLLER REPORTS PILOT CONTROLLED LIGHTING (PCL) AT ACV HAS BEEN A FACTOR IN MISSED APCHES. LIGHTS HAVE EXTINGUISHED WITH ACFT ON SHORT FINAL; NECESSITATING A GAR.

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THIS IS A CONTINUING PROB AT ACV. ZSE CONTROLS THE AIRSPACE RUNNING APCHES. THERE IS RVR EQUIP FOR RWY 32/14; WITH AN ILS APCH AVAILABLE FOR RWY 32. THE RVR READOUT IS PHYSICALLY LOCATED AT ZSE SECTOR 30. PLTS AND CTLRS KNOW THAT IF THE RWY LIGHTS (WHICH ARE PLT CONTROLLED) ARE TURNED ON HIGH; IT WILL OFTEN INCREASE THE RVR. SECTOR 30'S RVR READOUT ALSO INDICATES THE LIGHTING INTENSITY SETTING (OFF; LOW; MEDIUM OR HIGH) AND PLTS FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA WILL OFTEN ASK WHICH INTENSITY THEY ARE SET AT. THE LIGHTS; BEING PCL; WILL RESET AT A CERTAIN TIME INTERVAL. THE PROB IS THAT WE'VE HAD NUMEROUS INSTANCES WHERE THE LIGHTS WILL 'TIME-OUT' AND RESET WHILE AN ACFT IS ON VERY SHORT FINAL; FORCING A MISSED APCH. I FEEL THAT 1) WE (ZSE) ARE GIVING THE PLTS A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY ABOUT THE LIGHTS BY TELLING THEM WHAT THEY ARE SET AT. AND; 2) DURING BUSY IFR OPERATIONS; THE LIGHTS SHOULD BE TURNED ON AND KEPT ON; NOT ABLE TO 'TIME-OUT' AND TURN OFF CREATING A NEEDLESS AND POSSIBLY DANGEROUS GO AROUND. WE'VE HAD ACFT MISS MORE THAN ONCE AND HAVE TO DIVERT BECAUSE OF THESE LIGHTING ISSUES.