The Astronomy Club of
courtesy of ACA Responsible Lighting
Committee, 2007.05
draft
010 General
Provisions
A. Title
The ordinance codified
in this Chapter together with the amendments codified in this Chapter, shall be
known and may be cited as the City / County Outdoor Lighting
Ordinance.
B. Intent and Purposes
It is the intent of this
Chapter to encourage lighting practices and systems which will: minimize light
pollution, glare, light trespass; conserve energy and resources while
maintaining night-time safety, utility, security and productivity; and curtail
the degradation of the night time visual environment. The general purpose of
this Chapter is to protect and promote the public health, safety and welfare,
the quality of life, and the ability to view the
night sky, by establishing regulations and a process of review for exterior
lighting.
C. Scope
All exterior
lighting installed after the effective date of the ordinance shall be in
conformance with the requirements established by this Title and any other
applicable ordinances. All existing lighting installed prior to the effective
date of this Chapter in any and all zoning districts in City /County shall be addressed as follows:
1. All existing lighting located on a subject property that is part of an
application for a City / County design
review, conditional use, or subdivision permit, or building permit is required
to be brought into conformance with this Chapter. Conformity shall occur prior
to issuance of certificate of occupancy, final inspection or final plat
recordation, when applicable. For other permits, the applicant shall have a
maximum of thirty (30) days from date of permit issuance to bring the lighting
into conformance.
2. All other existing exterior lighting, not affected by Subsection C.1 above,
that does not comply with this Chapter
is required to be brought into conformance with this Chapter when repaired or
replaced, or with a change of use, or intensity of use, for example subsequent
to abandonment, by January 1, 2015, whichever comes first.
D. Authority
1. The
Commission shall have the authority to require new lighting, and existing
lighting pursuant to Section 010.C.1, 2 to meet the recommendations and
guidelines, in addition to the requirements, of this Chapter.
2. The provisions of this
Chapter are not intended to prevent the use of any design, material or method
of installation or operation not specifically prescribed herein, provided any
such alternate has been approved by the Planning Director. The Planning
Director may approve any such proposed alternate provided he/she finds that
it: Provides at least approximate
equivalence to the applicable specific requirements of this Division; and is
otherwise satisfactory and complies with the intent of this Chapter.
3. On projects where an
engineer or architect is required, the developer shall verify in writing to the City / County Planning Department that all outdoor lighting was installed in
accordance with the approved plans.
020 Definitions
Unless specifically defined below, words or phrases
used in this Chapter shall be interpreted so as to give them the meaning they
have in common usage and to give this Section its most reasonable application.
Abandonment is the relinquishment of a property, or the
cessation of a use or activity by the owner or tenant for a period of six
months, excluding temporary or short term interruptions for the purpose of remodeling,
maintaining, or otherwise improving or rearranging a facility. A use shall be
deemed abandoned when such use is suspended as evidenced by the cessation of
activities or conditions which constitute the principle use of the property.
Acreage, Net is the remaining ground area after deleting all
portions for proposed and existing streets
within a development or
subdivision.
Class 1 Lighting: All outdoor lighting used for, but not limited to,
outdoor sales or eating areas, assembly or repair areas, advertising and other
signs, recreational facilities and other similar applications where COLOR
RENDITION IS IMPORTANT to preserve the effectiveness of the activity.
Class 2 Lighting: All outdoor lighting used for, but not limited to,
illumination for walkways, roadways, equipment yards, parking lots and outdoor
security where GENERAL ILLUMINATION for safety or security of the grounds is
the primary concern.
Class 3 Lighting: Any outdoor lighting used for DECORATIVE effects
including, but not limited to, architectural illumination, flag and monument
lighting, and illumination of trees, bushes, etc.
Development Project: Any residential, commercial, industrial or mixed
use subdivision plan or development plan which is submitted to the County for
approval.
Direct Illumination: Illumination resulting from light emitted directly
from a lamp or luminaire, not light diffused through translucent signs or
reflected from other surfaces such as the ground or building faces.
Filtered Light is light from a light source that is covered by a
glass, acrylic or other cover that restricts the amount of non-visible
radiation (infrared, ultraviolet) emitted by the luminaire. (Quartz glass does
not meet this definition.)
Full cut-off fixtures are fixtures, as installed, that are designed or
shielded in such a manner that all light rays emitted by the fixture are
projected below a horizontal plane running through the lowest point on the
fixture where light is emitted.
Glare is intense light that results in discomfort and/or a reduction of
visual performance and visibility.
Installed Lighting is attached, or fixed in place, whether or not
connected to a power source.
Light pollution means any adverse effect of manmade light including,
but not limited to, light trespass, up lighting, the uncomfortable distraction
to the eye, or any manmade light that diminishes the ability to view the night
sky; often used to denote urban sky glow.
Light trespass means light falling where it is not wanted, generally
caused by a light on a property that shines onto the property of others.
Lumen is the unit used to measure the actual amount of
light which is produced by a lamp. It means unit of luminous flux; the flux
emitted within a unit solid angle by a point source with a uniform luminous intensity
of one Candela. One foot candle is one lumen per square foot. One lux is one
lumen per square meter.
Luminaire means the complete lighting unit, including the
lamp, the fixture, and other parts,
less the support assembly. For purposes
of determining total light output from a luminaire, lighting assemblies which
include multiple unshielded or partially shielded lamps on a single pole or
standard shall be considered as a single unit.
Multi-class Lighting is any outdoor lighting used for more than one
purpose, such as security and decoration, such that its use falls under the
definition of two or more classes as defined for Class 1, 2 and 3 lighting.
Opaque means that material must not transmit light from an
internal illumination source.
Outdoor Light Fixtures are outdoor electrically powered illuminating
devices, outdoor lighting or reflective surfaces, lamps and similar devices,
either permanently installed or portable, which are used for illumination or
advertisement. Such devices shall include, but are not limited to, search, spot
and flood lights for: a. buildings and
structures, b. recreational areas, c. parking lot lighting, d. landscape and
architectural lighting, e. billboards and other signs (advertising or other) f.
street lighting, g. product display area lighting
Outdoor Recreation
Facility is an area designed for
active recreation, whether publicly or privately owned, including, but not
limited to, baseball diamonds, soccer and football fields, golf courses, tennis
courts and swimming pools.
Partially Shielded
Fixture is an outdoor light fixture
shielded in such a manner that more than zero (0) but less than ten (10)
percent of the light emitted directly from the lamp or indirectly from the
fixture is projected at angles above the horizontal, as determined by
photometric test or certified by the manufacturer.
Person: Any individual, lessee, firm, partnership,
association, joint venture, corporation, or agent of the aforementioned groups
or the State of
Planning Director is the Director of the Planning Department for
Shielded means blocking some aspect of the light
emitted, such as upwards or side ways, or in one direction or
another. It is not the
same as full cut-off or fully shielded.
Sign: Any medium, including its
structure and component parts, which is used or intended for advertising
purposes other than the painting on the surface of a building.
Sign, Indirectly
Illuminated: Any sign the facing of which reflects light
from a source intentionally directed upon it.
Sign, Internally
Illuminated: Any sign which has the source of light
entirely enclosed within the sign and not directly visible to the eye.
Temporary Lighting: Lighting
which does not conform to the provisions of this ordinance and which will not
be used for more than one thirty (30) day period within a calendar year, with
one thirty (30) day extension. Temporary lighting is intended for uses which by
their nature are of limited duration; e.g. holiday decorations, civic events,
or construction projects.
Up-lighting is lighting that is directed in such a manner as to
shine light rays above the horizontal plane.
Watt: The unit used to measure the electrical power
consumption of a lamp.
030 Criteria / General Requirements
A. Type
All exterior
lighting shall be full cut-off fixtures with the light source fully
shielded. It shall be installed in such
a manner that the shielding is effective.
B. Preferred
Source
1. Low Pressure
Sodium (LPS) lamps are the preferred illumination source throughout the City /County. Their use is to be encouraged,
when not required, for outdoor illumination whenever their use would not be
detrimental to the use of the property.
2. Non-LPS lights are
permitted if outdoor light fixtures are full cut-off and located under and five
(5) or more feet from the nearest edge of a canopy, building overhang, or eave.
C. Intensity
1. Total outdoor light
output (excluding streetlights used for illumination of public rights-of-way)
of any development project shall not exceed 100,000 lumens per net acre,
averaged over the entire project.
2. Total Outdoor Light
Output is the maximum total amount of light, measured in lumens, from all
outdoor light fixtures. For lamp types that vary in their output as they age
(such as high pressure sodium), the initial output, as defined by the
manufacturer, is the value to be considered.
For determining compliance with sections of this Chapter, the light
emitted from outdoor light fixtures is to be included in the total output as
follows:
a. Outdoor light fixtures installed on poles
(such as parking lot luminaires) and light fixtures installed on the sides of
buildings or other structures, when not shielded from above by the structure
itself as defined in paragraphs 2 and 3 below, are to be included in the total
outdoor light output by simply adding the lumen outputs of the lamps used;
b. Outdoor light fixtures installed under
canopies, building overhangs, or roof eaves where the center of the lamp or
luminaire is located at least five (5) feet but less than ten (10) feet from
the nearest edge of the canopy or overhang are to be included in the total
outdoor light output as though they produced only one-quarter (1/4) of the
lamp's rated lumen output;
c. Outdoor light fixtures located under the
canopy and ten (10) or more feet from the nearest edge of a canopy, building
overhang, or eave are to be included in the total outdoor light output as
though they produced only one-tenth (1/10) of the lamp's rated lumen output.
D. Time
1. Lighting may continue until 9:00 pm or for as
long as the area is in active use.
2. Non-Essential Lights. All non-essential
exterior commercial and residential lighting is to be turned off after business
hours and/or when not in use. Replacement of existing lighting that is desired
for security purposes should be with 1. lights on a timer and/or 2. sensor activated
lights.
3. Uses that can turn off their outdoor lighting
during night hours are to be encouraged; those which require all night
illumination are to be discouraged.
E. Light
Trespass
It is the intent
of this Chapter to eliminate and prevent light trespass through the proper
installation of lighting fixtures. All existing and/or new exterior lighting
shall not cause light trespass and shall be such as to protect adjacent
properties from glare and excessive lighting.
F. Area Lights
All area lights,
including street lights and parking area lighting, shall be full cut-off
fixtures. All freestanding area lights within a residential zone, except street
lights, shall be mounted at a height equal to or less than the value 3 + (D/3),
where D is the distance in feet to the nearest property boundary.
G. Up-lighting
Up-lighting is
prohibited, except in cases where the fixture is shielded by a roof overhang or
similar structural shield from the sky and a licensed architect or lighting
engineer has stamped a prepared lighting plan that ensures that the light
fixture(s) will not cause light to extend beyond the structural shield, and
except as specifically permitted in this Chapter.
F. Service
Stations
The average foot
candle lighting level for new and existing service stations is required to be
no greater than five (5) foot candles.
All luminaires mounted on the under surface of service station canopies shall
be full cut-off and utilize flat glass or flat plastic (acrylic or
polycarbonate) covers.
G. Towers
All radio,
communication and navigation towers that require lights shall have dual
lighting capabilities. For daytime, the white strobe light may be used, and for
nighttime, only red lights shall be used.
H. Prohibited Lighting. The
installation, sale, offering for sale, lease, or purchase of any of the following lighting systems is prohibited:
1. Aerial lasers
2. Searchlight style lights
3. Other very intense lighting, defined as
having a light source exceeding 100,000 lumens or
intensity in any
direction of 2 million candelas or more
4. Mercury vapor lamps, light fixtures,
or replacement bulbs
5. Neon lights
040 Variances
A. Vehicular
lights and all temporary emergency lighting needed by the Fire and Police
Departments, or other emergency services shall be exempt from the requirements
of this Chapter.
B. Outdoor floodlighting by
floodlight projection above the horizontal plane is prohibited.
It
may not cause glare or light to shine on adjacent property or public
rights-of-way.
Floodlights with
directional shielding are encouraged.
Photocells with
timers that allow a floodlight to go on at dusk and off before or by (eleven)
11:00 pm are encouraged.
C. Outdoor recreational
facilities
1.
Outdoor recreational facilities shall not be illuminated after 11:00 pm
except to conclude a scheduled recreational or sporting event in progress prior
to 11:00 pm.
2.
Illumination for outdoor recreation facilities must conform to the full
cut-off shielding requirements, except when such shielding would interfere with
the intended activity. For such facilities, partially-shielded luminaries are
permitted. Examples of activities where partially-shielded luminaries are
permitted include, but are not limited to, baseball, softball, and football.
Specifically, tennis, volleyball, racquetball and handball courts and swimming
pools must utilize fully-shielded luminaries. All light fixtures must conform
to the requirements regarding light trespass.
D.
as defined in
Section 020 are exempt from the requirements of this Chapter for the three week
period from December 15th to January 6th, except that flashing holiday lights
are prohibited on commercial properties. Flashing holiday lights on residential
properties are discouraged.
E. Sensor
activated lighting may be unshielded provided
1.
It is located in such a manner as to prevent direct glare and lighting
into properties of others or
into a public right-of-way.
2. The light is set to go on only when
activated and to go off within five minutes after activation
has ceased.
3. The light shall not be triggered by
activity off the property.
F. Signs
a.
External illumination for signs shall conform to the provisions of this
Chapter.
b. Internally illuminated signs shall conform to the provisions of this
Chapter. They shall either be
constructed with an opaque background and
translucent letters and symbols, or with a dark
colored (not white, cream, off-white or
yellow) background and lighter letters and symbols.
G. Airport lighting
1. Lighting which is required for the safe
and efficient movement of aircraft during flight, takeoff,
landing, and taxiing is exempt from the
provisions of this Chapter.
2. Lighting used for illumination of
aircraft loading, unloading, and servicing areas is exempt from
the lumens per acre limits, although it
must conform to all other requirements of this Chapter.
3. All other outdoor lighting at airport
facilities shall comply with the provisions of this Chapter.
H. Any lamp type that has been determined to emit substantial non-visible
radiation, as determined from manufacturer's specifications or photometric
test, requires a filter that blocks this non-visible radiation. Examples of such lamps include, but are not
limited to, Quartz-Halogen and fluorescent.
Infrared lighting, used for remote
security surveillance systems are exempt from the filtration requirements, but
must be 1. fixed and full cut-off or 2.
moveable, but mounted such that the lights cannot be directed higher
than twenty degrees below the horizontal, measured from the center of the light
beam.
050 The
A.
060 Violations, Legal Actions and Penalties
A. Violations and Legal Actions: If, after investigation, the City /
County
B. Penalty. A violation of this Chapter, or any provision thereof, shall be
punishable by a civil penalty of one hundred dollars ($100.00) and each day of
violation after the expiration of the thirty (30) day period provided in
Subsection A of this Section above, shall constitute a separate offense for the
purpose of calculating the civil penalty.
Appendix: INITIAL RATED LIGHT OUTPUT OF VARIOUS LAMPS
(Information
from
LAMP TYPE 
LAMP
WATTAGE
INITIAL LUMEN OUTPUT
INCANCESCENT LAMP (FROSTED) (Syl.) 25 
235
INCANCESCENT LAMP (FROSTED) (Syl.) 40 375
INCANCESCENT LAMP (FROSTED) (Syl.) 60 890
INCANCESCENT LAMP (FROSTED) (Syl.) 100 1690
INCANCESCENT LAMP (FROSTED) (Syl.) 150 2850
INCANCESCENT FLOOD OR SPOT (G.E.) 75 765
INCANCESCENT FLOOD OR SPOT (G.E.) 120 1500
INCANCESCENT FLOOD OR SPOT (G.E.) 150 2000
QUARTZ HALOGEN LAMP (FROSTED) (Syl.) 42 665
QUARTZ HALOGEN LAMP (FROSTED) (Syl.) 52 885
QUARTZ HALOGEN LAMP (FROSTED) (Syl.) 72 1300
QUARTZ HALOGEN LAMP (FROSTED) (Syl.) 300 6000
QUARTZ HALOGEN MINI FLOOD OR SPOT (G.E.) (12 volt MR-16 type) 20 260
QUARTZ HALOGEN MINI FLOOD OR SPOT (G.E.) (12 volt MR-16 type) 42 630
QUARTZ HALOGEN MINI FLOOD OR SPOT (G.E.) (12 volt MR-16 type) 50 895
QUARTZ HALOGEN MINI FLOOD OR SPOT (G.E.) (12 volt MR-16 type) 75 1300
FLUORESCENT LAMP (Phillips) 7 400
FLUORESCENT LAMP (Phillips) 9 600
FLUORESCENT LAMP (Phillips) 13 900
FLUORESCENT LAMP (Phillips) 22 1200
FLUORESCENT LAMP (Phillips) 28 1600
FLUORESCENT LAMP (G.E. cool white) 40 3150
LOW PRESSURE SODIUM LAMP (Phillips) 18 1800
LOW PRESSURE SODIUM LAMP (Phillips) 35 4800
LOW PRESSURE SODIUM LAMP (Phillips) 55 8000
LOW PRESSURE SODIUM LAMP (Phillips) 90 13500
HIGH PRESSURE SODIUM LAMP (DIFFUSE) (G.E.) 35 2250
HIGH PRESSURE SODIUM LAMP (DIFFUSE) (G.E.) 50 4000
HIGH PRESSURE SODIUM LAMP (DIFFUSE) (G.E.) 70 6400
HIGH PRESSURE SODIUM LAMP (DIFFUSE) (G.E.) 100 9500
HIGH PRESSURE SODIUM LAMP (DIFFUSE) (G.E.) 150 16000
METAL HALIDE LAMP (Coated) (G.E.) 32 2500
METAL HALIDE LAMP (Coated) (Venture) 50 3400
METAL HALIDE LAMP (Coated) (G.E.) 100 9000
METAL HALIDE
LAMP (Coated) (G.E.) 175 15750
Examples of lamp types of
4050 lumens and below are (the acceptability of a particular light is decided
by its lumen output, not wattage; check manufacturer's specifications):
1. 200
Watt Standard Incandescent
2.
150 Watt Tungsten-Halogen (quartz)
3. 50 Watt High Pressure Sodium
4. 50 Watt Cool White Fluorescent
5. 30 Watt Low Pressure Sodium
