(A) Intent and purpose. These exterior lighting requirements are intended, among other purposes to:
(1) Provide lighting systems that enhances vision, minimizes glare and light spillage, promotes energy efficiency, are appropriate for the task intended.
(2) Provide proper illumination for all vehicular and pedestrian areas. Increase illumination as required at intersections and pedestrian walkways to improve safety.
(3) Be consistent with the International Dark-Sky Association's (IDSA) goal to eliminate over-lighting.
(4) Preserve the environment, promote safety, minimize intrusion and nuisance, and promote energy conservation.
(B) General requirements.
(1) All developments with 10 or more required parking spaces shall provide exterior lighting for all exterior doorways, pedestrian pathways, and vehicular use areas. All developments with fewer than 10 parking spaces shall provide exterior lighting at all exterior doorways.
(2) All exterior lighting shall be designed in a consistent and coordinated manner for the entire site. To avoid creation of "hot spots" or irregular lighting levels, lighting uniformity across a horizontal surface shall have an average range from one footcandle to three footcandles or not exceeding 4:1 average to minimum light levels.
(3) No site or sign lighting shall be illuminated in a way that moves, has the appearance of movement, or produces a flashing light effect.
(4) The use of laser light source, searchlights or any similar high intensity light for commercial outdoor advertisement or entertainment is prohibited.
(5) The following are exempt from this section, provided that they have no glare or other detrimental effects on adjoining streets or property owners:
(a) Residential private swimming pools;
(b) Holiday decorations;
(c) Pedestrian walkway ground lighting;
(d) Single-family residential lighting; and
(e) Public street lights.
(f) All outdoor recreational/sports facility lighting, provided the lighting complies with this section to minimize the impact of light trespass and glare on all surrounding properties and public rights-of-way.
(6) Planned Development Districts adopted and established in accordance with the provisions of this chapter and the requirements contained therein shall take precedence over any conflicting provisions contained in this section.
(C) Site lighting. The following requirements for various uses and structures are intended to provide reasonable levels of lighting for security and convenience, and to place limits on intensity levels to avoid distractions to motorists, minimize nuisance to surrounding properties, decrease the effects of sky glow and avoid the escalation of light levels among competing properties.
(1) Shielding.
(a) Lighting provided for security or visibility on any site shall be shielded to reduce glare and shall be so arranged and maintained as to direct the light away from any residential district or use.
(b) Lighting attached to buildings or other structures shall not permit light to be directed horizontally. Building-mounted lighting shall be fully shielded and directed downward to prevent off-site glare. If the exterior walls of a structure are to be illuminated, the lights must be mounted at the top of the wall and aimed down. Ground or pole-mounted floodlights are not allowed for façade lighting.
(c) All exterior lighting, including but not limited to doorways, architectural, accent, landscape, signs, decorative, security, floodlighting, or area lighting shall be "total cutoff type" or no portion of the lamp, reflector, lens, or refracting system may extend beyond the housing or shield so as to create or allow glare to be visible from offsite.
(d) Building perimeter wall lights shall be cutoff type and shall direct the light down. The lamp shall not be visible from normal viewing angles. Exterior emergency lighting shall be provided at all exit doors.
(e) Decorative incandescent lights 100 watts or lower do not require shielding.
(f) Lighting required by the Building Code for emergency egress when operating emergency conditions is exempt from this requirement.
(2) Fixtures.
(a) Fixtures used shall maintain a unified lighting standard, minimize shadows for site safety, and minimize sky glow.
(b) Except as otherwise provided below, light fixtures shall be no higher than 20 feet (measured from the ground to the top of the fixture) and shall be provided with light cut-off fixtures that direct light downward.
(c) For parking lots serving a single building or groups of related commercial, industrial, or office buildings in excess of 500 spaces, light fixtures may be permitted up to a maximum height of 35 feet when the poles are at least 150 feet from a residentially used or zoned site.
(d) Modifications. Decorative light fixtures may be approved as an alternative to shielded fixtures when there will be no off-site glare and the proposed fixtures will improve the appearance of the site.
(e) Fixture substitution. Should any light fixture regulated under this section, or the type of light source in the fixture, be changed after the site plan is approved or a permit has been issued, a change request together with adequate information to assure compliance with this section must be submitted to and approved by the Director of Land Use & Long Range Planning. No substitution may be made unless the request is approved.
(3) Lamps and lighting trespass.
(a) Pole-mounted lights shall use not greater than 250 watt metal-halide lamps at mounting heights of 20 feet and below, 400 watt metal-halide lamps at 35 feet mounting height. One thousand watt lamps shall not be used.
(b) Light originating on a site shall not be permitted beyond the site to exceed the following values when measured at grade, 10 feet beyond the property line for the following adjacent properties:
Residential 0.3 footcandles
Industrial/warehouse 1.5 footcandles
Multi-family 0.5 footcandles
Office/commercial 1.0 footcandles
(c) Parking lot illumination for parking lots exceeding 150 spaces constructed after the effective date of this amendment shall be reduced by 50% of full lighting levels at 10:00 p.m. or within one hour after the use for which the parking is used closes, whichever is later, subject to the following:
1. Lighting levels may be reduced either by turning off 50% of the fixtures or by reducing the lighting level of all fixtures, or an appropriate combination of techniques.
2. At the option of the property owner to enhance security, full lighting may be maintained for all spaces within 150 feet of the main entrance.
(d) Canopy lighting. Canopy lights shall be mounted flush with the underside of the canopy and provided with flat lenses to limit glare.
(4) Pedestrian and landscape lighting.
(a) Decorative "streetscape" luminaires, not higher than 18 feet may be used for pedestrian and roadway illumination provided luminaires with cutoff optics are used. The lamp must be recessed to shield the light source and prevent light above horizontal (90 degrees to nadir). Normal lamp wattage shall be 100 watts, not to exceed 175 watts. Multiple luminaires may be mounted on a common pole to achieve higher light levels where required. Decorative drop lenses are allowed on these luminaires only.
(b) Low-level bollard lights, no higher than four feet, may be used to illuminate pedestrian areas and walkways. Ground mounted pathway lights may only be used if there is no up-light component. Step-lights with cutoff optics may be used to illuminate exterior stairways and pedestrian walkways.
(c) Pole mounted luminaires located in landscaped areas away from vehicles, if not flush with the ground, shall be mounted on concrete foundations that protrude six inches maximum above finished grade. Luminaires in parking areas or in landscaped areas shall be located at least four feet from the back of curb and, if not flush with the ground, shall be mounted on concrete foundations that protrude not more than 30 inches above the finished pavement.
(d) Flagpoles. Flagpoles may be illuminated by up-lights or floodlights as required. Beam spread shall be only as required to illuminate the flag clearly. Adjustable louvers shall be used to limit beam spread if necessary. Maximum lamp size shall be 100 watts.
(D) Administration.
(1) A plan demonstrating compliance with the exterior lighting requirements shall be submitted and approved prior to any zoning approval by the Planning and Zoning Commission or issuance of a building permit or Certificate of Zoning Plan Approval. The following information shall be submitted:
(a) Scaled building plans and elevations showing property boundaries, building locations(s), parking lot layout, driveways, pedestrian pathways, all building entrances, adjacent rights-of-way, north arrow, scale, and address or legal description. Show locations of all luminaries, controls, and electrical transformers.
(b) Cut sheets (profiles) for all proposed exterior luminaries and poles.
(c) Scaled isofootcandle plots and/or point-by-point footcandle layouts.
(2) Existing light fixture. The Director or designee has the discretion to require the re-direction of existing light fixtures when it is determined that the fixture is creating off-site glare.
(3) Installation of lights. Illumination systems shall be installed only as approved. The city reserves the right to instruct the property owner to remove or modify lighting systems that were not installed as approved, at no cost to the city.
(4) Changes during the design and/or construction process after approval must be reviewed and approved by the Director prior to installation and final acceptance.
(5) Site safety exemption. Any use or site deemed necessary by the Chief of Police or his or her designee based on business operations or safety statistics may request from the Director of Land Use and Long Range Planning to be exempt from the requirements set forth in division (C)(3) of this section.
(6) Nonconforming lighting. Sites that are nonconforming due to lighting required by this section, either by fixture type or height, coverage, or other requirement, shall be brought into compliance with these requirements under the following conditions:
(a) Whenever the size of the nonconforming site covered by existing lighting is expanded by an area that is 50% or more of the original nonconforming area, all lighting on the site shall be brought into compliance with this section; or
(b) Whenever 25% or more of the existing light poles and/or fixtures present are replaced by new poles, bases, or fixtures all lighting on the site shall be brought into compliance with this section.
(Ord. 08-08, passed 2-19-08)