(A) Purpose. The purpose of this section is to regulate the spill-over of light and glare on operators of motor vehicles, pedestrians and land uses in the proximity of the light source. With respect to motor vehicles, safety considerations form the basis of the regulations contained herein. In other cases, both the nuisance and hazard aspects of glare are regulated. This section does not apply to public street lighting. For purposes of this section, GLARE shall mean excessive brightness that is sufficiently greater than that to which the eyes are adapted, which causes annoyance or loss in visibility, so as to jeopardize health, safety or welfare or which otherwise constitutes a nuisance.
(B) Applicability. The requirements of this section are applicable to all outdoor lighting having an aggregate rated lamp output equal to or exceeding 750 lumens (e.g., the rated output of a standard non-directional 60-watt incandescent lamp).
(C) Control of glare.
(1) Generally. All lighting shall be aimed, located, designed, fitted and maintained so as not to present a hazard to drivers or pedestrians by impairing their ability to safely traverse and so as not to create a nuisance by projecting or reflecting objectionable light onto a neighboring use or property. The illumination projected from any use onto a residential use shall at no time exceed one-tenth foot candle, measured line-of-sight at any time and from any point on the receiving residential property. Except as permitted for certain recreational lighting and permitted elsewhere in this chapter, lighting shall not be mounted in excess of 20 feet above finished grade of the surface being illuminated. Mounting height shall be defined as the distance from the finished grade of the surface being illuminated to the optical center of the lighting.
(2) Horizontal surfaces. For the lighting of predominantly horizontal surfaces such as, but not limited to, parking areas, roadways, vehicular and pedestrian passage areas, recreational areas, building entrances, sidewalks, bicycle and pedestrian paths, and site entrances, lighting shall be aimed straight down.
(3) Non-horizontal surfaces. For the lighting of predominantly non-horizontal surfaces, when their use is specifically permitted by this chapter, lighting shall be shielded and shall be installed and aimed so as to not project their output into the windows of neighboring residences, adjacent uses, past the object being illuminated, skyward or onto a public roadway.
(4) Directional light. Directional lighting, such as floodlights and spotlights, shall be so shielded, installed and aimed that they do not project their output onto the properties of neighboring residences, adjacent uses, past the object being illuminated, skyward or onto a public roadway or pedestrian way. Floodlights installed above grade on residential properties, except when motion-sensor actuated, shall not be aimed out more than 45 degrees from straight down. When a floodlight creates glare as viewed from an adjacent residential property, the floodlight shall be required to be re-aimed and/or fitted with a shielding device to block the view of the glare source from that property.
(5) Other lighting. “Barn lights”, also known as “dusk-to-dawn lights”, when a source of glare as viewed from an adjacent residential use, shall not be permitted unless effectively shielded as viewed from the adjacent property.
(Ord. 1999-03, passed 3- -1999; Ord. 2013-04, passed 2-4-2013)