(A) Light and glare from indirect sources. The design and/or screening of the development shall ensure that glare from automobile and commercial or industrial vehicle headlights shall not be directed into any adjacent property, particularly residential property. Exterior doors shall be located, operated, and maintained so as to prevent any glare and light from creating a nuisance or safety hazard to operators of motor vehicles, pedestrians, and neighboring land uses.
(B) Exterior lighting from direct sources.
(1) Ground illumination shall not exceed 1.5 foot-candles average maintained. The light intensity at ground level shall not exceed 0.1 foot-candles at the property line adjacent to residentially zoned or used property and 1.0 foot candle measured at the property line adjacent to all other uses.
(2) Free standing light standards including base shall not exceed 20 feet in total height and if located in the Linden Historic District, standards and light fixtures shall be of a period design approved by the Historic District Commission prior to final site plan approval by the Planning Commission.
(3) All light fixtures shall be of a sharp cut-off design. Fixtures that allow light to shine on adjoining property or create horizontal glare shall not be approved. Lighting designs that allow light to shine into a public street or right-of-way shall not be approved.
(4) Free standing light fixtures shall be of a design to direct light into the development and away from adjacent property. House side shields shall be required in residential areas adjacent to any illuminated sites.
(C) Architectural lighting.
(1) Illumination of buildings, monuments or flags shall not exceed 15 foot-candles average maintained. All fixtures shall be shielded or designed to prohibit glare from shining into any residential area, street or public right-of-way.
(2) Unshielded luminous tube (neon), LED, incandescent or fluorescent lighting shall be prohibited as an architectural detail on the exterior of any structure, including but not limited to rooflines, cornices, eaves, windows, and door openings. The Planning Commission may approve internally illuminated architectural bands or similar shielded lighting accents as part of a site plan, upon determining that such lighting accents would enhance the aesthetics of the site, and would not cause off-site glare or light pollution.
(D) Window lighting. All interior light fixtures visible through a window from a public right-of-way or adjacent property shall be shielded to prevent glare at the property line or within a public right-of-way. Unshielded luminous tube (neon), LED, incandescent and fluorescent light fixtures shall be prohibited where the light source would be visible through the window from a public right-of-way or adjacent property.
(E) Prohibited lighting elements.
(1) Running, chasing or otherwise intermittent lighting;
(2) The internal illumination of translucent building-mounted canopies/awnings;
(3) The use of laser light sources, searchlights, or any similar high-intensity light.
(F) Exemptions. The following are exempt from the lighting requirements of this section, except that the Zoning Administrator may take steps to eliminate the impact of the exempted items when deemed necessary to ensure that they will not interfere with vehicular traffic or the enjoyment and use of adjacent properties:
(1) Holiday decorations;
(2) Window displays without glare;
(3) Shielded pedestrian walkway lighting;
(4) Residential lighting with no off-site glare.
(H) Submittal requirements. Lighting designer and/or fixture manufacturer shall provide a drawing with photometric layout of the proposed design to show actual initial foot-candle levels on a plot plan sealed by a professional engineer or architect licensed in the State of Michigan. Submitted drawing shall include detailed fixture schedule, which shall include manufacturer's name, catalog number, lamp type and wattage. A complete set of manufacturer's catalog specification sheets for each fixture type used on lighting design shall be included with photometric submittal.
(Ord. 285, passed 12-8-2003; Ord. 387, passed 9-10-2018) Penalty, see § 154.999