§ 157.285 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS AND EXEMPTIONS.
   (A)   Purpose and intent. The purposes of the outdoor lighting regulations are to protect dark skies and the general welfare by controlling the spillover of light onto adjacent properties, and to prevent glare from outdoor luminaires and limit the intensity of light on adjacent properties and roadways to further public safety.
   (B)   Conformance with applicable codes and ordinances. All outdoor artificial illuminating devices shall be installed in conformance with the provisions of this subchapter, and applicable provisions of this chapter. The most restrictive shall govern.
   (C)   General requirements.
      (1)   All outdoor light fixtures except those exempted by division (D) below and those otherwise regulated by § 157.287 shall be fully shielded. A fully shielded fixture must be a full cutoff luminaire or a decorative luminaire with full cutoff optics, and defined as an outdoor lighting fixture that is shielded or constructed so that all light emitted is projected below a horizontal plane running through the lowest part of the fixture. The light source visibility shall be shielded from the adjoining property (See Figures 1 and 2 in § 157.288).
      (2)   Spillover light, vertical or horizontal, shall not exceed one-half foot-candles at the property line.
      (3)   Building- and pole-mounted luminaires shall not have adjustable features.
   (D)   Exemptions. Exemptions include:
      (1)   Outdoor light fixtures installed prior to the effective date of this subchapter are exempt from the provisions of this subchapter, provided, however, that no change in use, increase in lumen output, or structural alteration of outdoor light fixtures shall be made unless it thereafter conforms to the provisions of this subchapter. Replacement of a fixture shall mean a change of fixture type or change to the mounting height of location of a fixture. Routine lighting fixture maintenance, such as changing lamps or light bulbs, ballast, starter, photo control, and other similar components shall not constitute replacement and shall be permitted provided such changes do not result in a higher lumen output. Changing of housing or lenses in a fixture shall not constitute an exemption to the requirements of this subchapter;
      (2)   Lighting required by state or federal law, to the extent that compliance with state or federal law is inconsistent with compliance with this subchapter;
      (3)   Roadway lighting and security lighting controlled and activated by motion sensor devices for a duration of 15 minutes of less;
      (4)   Lighting of the U.S. or state flags and other noncommercial flags expressing constitutionally-protected speech;
      (5)   Temporary circus, fair, carnival, or civic uses; and/or
      (6)   Construction and emergency lighting provided that said lighting is temporary and is discontinued immediately upon completion of the construction work or abatement of the emergency necessitating said lighting.
(1998 Code, § 66-350) (Ord. passed 9-5-2017) Penalty, see § 10.99