(A) Purpose. These regulations are intended to establish standards that ensure minimal light pollution, reduce glare, increase energy conservation, while providing for night safety, utility, security and productivity.
(B) Applicability. These regulations shall apply to all outdoor lighting including, but not limited to, search, spot or floodlights for: buildings and structures, recreational areas, parking lot lighting, landscape lighting, and other outdoor lighting.
(C) Nonresidential lighting. The following standards apply to the lighting of all outdoor facilities except public or private athletic/arena recreation facilities.
(1) The height of any light fixture or illumination source shall not exceed 20 feet.
(2) All lighting sources shall be hooded or shielded so that they are not visible from any adjacent or nearby lot or real property.
(3) Lights or illuminating units shall not direct light, either directly or through a reflecting device, upon any adjacent or nearby real property.
(4) Lighting fixtures shall be fully shielded and the rated correlated color temperature (CCT) of light sources shall not exceed 3,000K (subject to a manufacture specified color stability variation of no more than +/- 200k in CCT) to prevent the formation of an urban light cloud.
(5) Recreational lighting exempted from the above standards shall meet the following.
(a) All metal halide/quartz fixtures shall be filtered by glass, acrylic or translucent enclosures; and
(b) No lighting of 2,250 lumens or greater shall be used after 11:00 p.m. without a temporary use permit.
(D) Security, landscaping or other lighting.
(1) All other outdoor lights shall be fully shielded and directed downward.
(2) Fully shielded means outdoor light fixtures constructed so that no light rays are emitted by the installed fixture at angles above the horizontal plane.
(E) Residential lighting. All exterior lighting shall be limited to 1,600 lumens per fixture unless filtered, shielded or screened to minimize any light impact onto adjoining property.
(F) Other pole-mounted lighting (parking, walkways and the like). All lights mounted on poles eight feet or greater in height shall be directed down. The light source shall be shielded so that it will not be visible from any adjacent or nearby real property.
(G) Searchlights. The operation of searchlights shall be allowed subject to the following conditions:
(1) During the months of May through October, searchlights shall be operated only between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m.;
(2) During the months of November through April, searchlights shall be operated only between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.; and
(3) Searchlights shall not be operated on residentially zone properties except for grand openings or new developments.
(H) Non-conforming lighting.
(1) All existing outdoor lighting that was legally installed before May 13, 2020 and that does not conform with the provisions of this chapter shall be considered non-conforming.
(2) In the event that the use of a non-conforming outdoor luminaire is discontinued for six months or is damaged to the point of requiring repairs for safe operation, the repaired or replacement luminaire shall comply with the provisions of this section.
(3) All non-conforming luminaires and lighting installations shall be brought into conformance upon performing any significant maintenance or upgrade to the luminaire, or expansion of the lighting installation. Upon replacing a failed lamp, the rated correlated color temperature (CCT) of the replacement lamp shall not exceed 3000K if such a lamp is available.
(4) Whenever the use of any existing building, structure, or premises is changed to a new use, all outdoor lighting shall be reviewed and brought into compliance with this code before the new use commences.
(I) Exemptions. The provisions of this section shall not apply to streetlights installed in public rights of way or light fixtures on property owned by the town, except that all such fixtures shall be fully shielded and the rated correlated color temperature (CCT) of light sources shall not exceed 3000K.
(Ord. 2020-02, passed 4-13-2020)