A. Purpose.
1. Exterior lighting is used to illuminate residential, commercial, industrial and public uses; parking lots, sidewalks, signs, and other elements within the Village. When well-designed and properly installed, exterior lighting is very useful in improving visibility and safety, providing a sense of security, and complementing the character of the Village. If exterior lighting is not well-designed and properly installed it can be inefficient, cause glare, and create light trespass and sky glow. Light trespass falling over property lines can illuminate adjacent grounds or buildings in an objectionable manner. In order to insure that exterior lighting is well-designed with limited impacts on adjacent properties, the following requirements are set forth to control exterior lighting in both residential and non-residential zoning districts. (Amd. Ord. 5389 – 3/4/19)
2. Standards and Requirements.
a. Lighting Classes. The standards and requirements set forth in the following tables shall regulate and govern the use of, design of, construction or modification of any lighting system for the purpose of illuminating exterior areas including, but not limited to, signs, parking areas, buildings, landscaping, porches, and driveways. Each Lighting Zone is comprised of and defined by the correlated Land Uses listed in Table 6-315.2.a (A).
Lighting Class 1 | Auto-Dealerships and Large Retail Centers (land area 500,000 sf) |
Lighting Class 2 | Manufacturing and Storage, Commercial, and Mixed Use |
Lighting Class 3 | Civic and Institutional, Multi-Family Residential, and Office |
Lighting Class 4 | Single-Family Residential |
1. Lighting Class 1. Land uses for Lighting Zone 1 include Auto Dealerships and Large Retail Centers (land area 500,000 sf).
2. Lighting Class 2. Land uses for Lighting Zone 2 include Manufacturing and Storage, Commercial, and Mixed Use.
3. Lighting Class 3. Land uses for Lighting Zone 3 include Civic and Institutional, Multi-Family Residential, and Office.
4. Lighting Class 4. Land use for Lighting Zone 4 is Single-Family Residential.
(Amd. Ord. 5389 – 3/4/19)
b. Luminaire Height, Setback, and Cutoff Degree. Table 6-315.A.2.b (A) below determines the required setback of a fixture based on the height of the luminaire and extent of its cutoff shielding. Setback is measured from adjacent lot lines. The maximum luminaire height allowed on private properties within the Village is twenty-five feet (25') from grade. Any minor deviation from the regulations listed in Table 6-315.A.2.b (A) may be approved at the discretion of the Development Services Department. Luminaire height shall be rounded to the closest correlated height listed in Table 6-315.A.2.b (A) when determining required luminaire setback. (Amd. Ord. 5389 – 3/4/19)
Luminaire Cutoff Degree | |||||
Full Cutoff | Cutoff | Semi-Cutoff | No Cutoff | ||
Luminaire Cutoff Degree | |||||
Full Cutoff | Cutoff | Semi-Cutoff | No Cutoff | ||
Luminaire Height (in feet) | 25 | 10ft | 20ft | 40ft | Not Permitted |
20 | 8ft | 16ft | 32ft | Not Permitted | |
15 | 6ft | 12ft | 24ft | 30ft | |
10 | 4ft | 8ft | 16ft | 20ft | |
5 | 2ft | 4ft | 8ft | 10ft | |
Required Setback (in feet) | |||||
(Amd. Ord. 5389 – 3/4/19)
c. Standards for Luminaires under a Canopy (for non-residential uses). Luminaires mounted to the underside of a canopy, which provide overhead illumination, shall be recessed such that no part of the luminaire or the lamp shall extend below the exterior edge of the canopy.
d. Standards for Patio Lighting (for non-residential uses).
1. Permitted Lighting. Permitted patio lighting shall include, but not be limited to lanterns, sconces, lighting posts, flameless torches, festoon or string lights, and pendant lighting.
2. Prohibited Lighting. All attention-seeking, blinking, flashing and color changing lights shall not be permitted.
3. Light Trespass. All patio lighting shall be contained to the extent of the property on which the patio is located.
e. Standards for Architectural Accent Lighting - Unshielded LED Rope/Band Lighting. The illumination of commercial buildings with facades facing Interstate 80 is intended to highlight the Village's skyline and differentiate the geographical location of the community from that of surrounding municipalities. Architectural lighting of commercial buildings, when incorporated into a structure's overall design, will help to identify, complement, and aesthetically enhance the architectural attributes of the community. Unshielded LED rope or band lighting shall be permitted as an architectural building accent on buildings located on non-residential properties directly abutting Interstate 80, subject to the following rules and regulations:
1. All lighting shall meet the requirements listed in Section 6-315.
2. Unshielded lighting shall only be constructed of LED ropes or bands.
3. Unshielded LED rope or band lighting shall be permitted on the south elevation of commercial buildings that have a minimum height of thirty (30) feet or three stories, whichever is lower. Unshielded LED rope or band lighting shall not be permitted on the north elevation of buildings nor shall they be permitted on a façade located within three hundred (300) feet of a residential property.
4. Unshielded LED rope or band lighting shall only be installed horizontally on a building façade. Unshielded accent lighting to outline building elements, such as doors and windows, is prohibited.
5. Exterior lighting shall consist of continuous, non-blinking light sources that highlight a building facade or other architectural features, and in no way shall be used to spell out letters, names, symbols, or numbers.
6. A unified, consistent, and harmonious light design and color shall be applied to all eligible facades on a building. Individual tenants within a multi-tenant building shall not install different types, designs, or colors of unshielded LED ropes or bands.
7. Unshielded LED rope or band lighting shall be reviewed and approved administratively via an appearance review by the Development Services Department in accordance with Section 5-106 (Appearance Review) or by approval of Elevations in accordance with Section 5-101 (Development Review Procedures). A building permit shall be obtained through the Development Services Department prior to the installation or construction of any new lighting.
(Amd. Ord. 5564 - 12/21/20)
3. Definitions.
a. Canopy: Any overhanging shelter or shade or other protective structure constructed in such a manner as to allow pedestrians or vehicles to pass underneath.
b. Cutoff: Intensity at or above 90° (horizontal) no more than 2.5% of lamp lumens, and no more than 10% of lamp lumens at or above 80°. (See Figure 6-315.A.3 (A)).
c. Cutoff Angle: The angle formed by a line drawn from the direction of light rays at the light source and a line perpendicular to the ground from the light source, above which no light is emitted.
d. Entrance Drive Lighting: Lighting produced solely for illumination of a drive entering into an establishment.
e. Exterior Lighting: The illumination of an outside area or object by any man-made device that produces light by any means.
f. Fixture: The assembly that houses the lamp or lamps and can include all or some of the following parts: a housing, a mounting bracket or pole socket, a lamp holder, a ballast, a reflector or mirror, and/or a refractor or lens.
g. Flood or Spot Light: Any light fixture or lamp that incorporates a reflector or a refractor to concentrate the light output into a directed beam in a particular direction.
h. Footcandle (FC): A unit of illumination produced on a surface, all points of which are one (1) foot from a uniform point source of one (1) standard candle.
i. Footcandle - Horizontal Measurement (HFC): The measurement of footcandles utilizing a direct reading, portable light meter mounted in the horizontal position.
j. Footcandle - Vertical Measurement (VFC): The measurement of footcandles utilizing a direct reading, portable light meter mounted in the vertical position.
k. Full Cutoff: Zero intensity at or above horizontal (90° above nadir) and limited to a value not exceeding 10% of lamp lumens at or above 80°. (See Figure 6-315.A.3 (A)).
l. Glare: Light emitting from a luminaire with an intensity great enough to reduce a viewers’ ability to see, cause discomfort and, in extreme cases, cause momentary blindness.
m. Height of Luminaire Including Total Height: The height of a luminaire shall be the vertical distance from the ground directly below the centerline of the luminaire to the lowest direct-light-emitting part of the luminaire. The total height shall be the height of the pole, including the base and any mounting arms or other attachments to which the luminaire is attached, as measured from the ground directly below the highest part of the pole or any of its attachments, to the top of the pole or luminaire, whichever the case may be.
n. Illumination System: The totality of the equipment installed to provide exterior lighting on a developed property. The illumination system shall include all building, canopy, pole and ground mounted luminaires including all wiring, circuitry, and other devices installed to create exterior lighting.
o. Lamp: The component of a luminaire that produces the actual light.
p. Light, Direct: Light emitted directly from the lamp, off a reflector or reflector diffuser, or through the refractor or diffuser lens of a luminaire.
q. Light, Indirect: Direct light that has been reflected or has scattered off of other surfaces.
r. Light Loss Factor: A factor applied to lamps, which estimates the lumen output of a lamp sometime after installation. (For example, a lamp with an initial lumen rating of 10,000, which has a light loss factor of 0.7, is estimated to put out 7,000 lumens. A lamp with an initial lumen rating of 10,000, which has a light loss factor of 1.0, is estimated to put out 10,000 lumens.)
s. Light Trespass: Any light that exists beyond the boundaries of the property on which its source is located.
t. Lumen: A unit of luminous flux. One footcandle is one lumen per square foot. For the purpose of this Section, the lumen value shall be the initial lumen output rating of a lamp.
u. Luminaire: A complete lighting unit consisting of a light source and all necessary mechanical, electrical, and decorative parts.
v. Luminaire, Cutoff Type: A luminaire containing elements such as shields, reflectors, or refractor panels that direct and cutoff a direct view of the light source at a cutoff angle.
w. Non-Cutoff: No limitations on light distribution at any angle. (See Figure 6-315.A.3 (A)).
x. Patio Lighting: Any form of permanently installed lighting that is used for the sole purpose of patio illumination or decoration.
y. Semi-Cutoff: Intensity at or above 90° (horizontal) no more than 5% of lamp lumens and no more than 20% at or above 80°. (See Figure 6-315.A.3 (A)).
z. Temporary Exterior Lighting: The specific illumination of an outside area or object by any man-made device that produces light by any means, consistent with the requirement for Temporary Uses in Subsection 6-304.
aa. Wall or Building Mounted Fixture: A fixture attached to an exterior wall, roof, or other exterior surface of a building. No wall mounted fixture shall be allowed to produce light trespass and shall be included in the calculation on photometric plans.
B. Regulations & Procedures.
1. Regulations.
a. All public and private exterior lighting installed in the Village of Orland Park shall be in conformance with the requirements established by this Section.
b. The installation of, or the additional installation of, exterior lighting for aesthetic, safety or general purposes, may be required, as determined by the Development Services Department.
c. All exterior lighting must be maintained and kept in proper working order.
2. Procedures.
a. Lighting Plan Required. A lighting plan is required for all non-residential uses in or adjacent to residential zoning districts, multiple family developments other than duplexes, commercial/retail, industrial, institutional, and public uses including uses developed by other units of local government.
At the time any exterior lighting is installed or substantially modified, a lighting plan shall be submitted to the Development Services Department in order to determine whether the requirements of this Section have been met. A lighting plan shall be required for all special uses, planned unit developments, and requests for variations from the standards imposed in this Section.
Where a lighting plan is required, said plan shall include the following:
1. A site plan showing pole locations, building mounted lights (e.g. wall-packs), bollard lights with schematic wiring layout and power source connection;
2. Specifications for luminaires and lamp types, poles, wiring, conduit and appurtenant construction including photographs or drawings of proposed luminaires. Manufacturer catalog sheets shall be provided in order to demonstrate specific style/type and dimensions of equipment;
3. Site-specific pole, luminaire, and foundation details including pole height, height of building mounted lights, mounting height and height of the luminaire;
4. Overall site plan inclusive of a fifty-foot perimeter which shall include buildings, luminaires and other structures sufficient to determine the total cutoff angle of all luminaires and their relationship to abutting parcels;
5. Initial Luminaire Lumens of all light sources proposed;
6. Photometric plans that shows the footcandle - horizontal measurement internal to the site and at the property lines. (Footcandle - horizontal measurements shall be taken along a horizontal plane at a height of three and one-half (3.5) feet above the ground. Photometric plans shall be based on a light loss factor of 1.0.
7. Other information and data reasonably necessary to evaluate the required lighting plan pursuant to the request of the Development Services Department.
3. Measuring Light Levels.
a. Metering Equipment. Light levels of both direct and indirect light shall be measured in footcandles with a direct reading, portable light meter. Readings shall be taken only after the cell has been exposed long enough to provide a constant reading.
b. Method of Measurement. Footcandle - horizontal measurements shall be taken along a horizontal plane at a height of three and one-half (3.5) feet above the ground. If lighting metering levels are inconclusive on conformance to the above methods, the measurement will be taken by focusing the metering equipment directly at the light source.
4. Exceptions.
a. Public Roadway Lighting. Luminaires used for public roadway illumination by a public transportation agency are exempt from the requirements of this Section but may be subject to the regulations of Federal, State or County agencies, or by other intergovernmental agreements.
b. Entrance Drive Lighting. Luminaires used for the sole purpose of illuminating an access drive and other similar uses may be determined by the Director of Development Services to be exempted from certain illumination and other standards of the requirements of this Section.
c. Emergency Lighting. All temporary emergency lighting needed by the Police or Fire Departments or other emergency services, as well as all vehicular luminaires, shall be exempt from the requirements of this Section.
d. Recreational Facilities. Because of their unique requirements for nighttime visibility and their limited hours of operation, outdoor recreational facilities (public or private) such as, but not limited to, football fields, soccer fields, baseball fields, softball fields, tennis courts, golf driving ranges, auditorium areas and other similar uses as may be determined by the Director of Development Services are exempted from certain illumination and other standards as follows:
1. The uses set forth herein are specifically exempted from the maximum footcandle requirements - internal to the site. These uses are required to submit a lighting plan and shall be processed as special uses under the applicable procedures. These uses shall seek to meet the requirements for maximum footcandles at the property line or apply for a special use modification if they are unable to meet those requirements.
2. The uses set forth herein shall be exempt from the height requirements as set forth in this Section. The Plan Commission and Village Board shall review the proposed pole heights during the special use permit review process.
e. Temporary Uses. Non-residential temporary uses shall install temporary lighting using these standards as guides and obtain an electrical permit subject to Section 6-304.B of these regulations.
C. Prohibited Lighting.
1. Flickering or Flashing Lights. The Village Board of Trustees shall permit no flickering or flashing lights unless authorized in a lighting plan approved as a special use or planned unit development.
2. Searchlight and Laser Source Lights. No searchlights, laser source lights, or any similar high intensity light shall be permitted.
3. High Intensity Discharge Lamps. No lamps that are classified as high intensity discharge are permitted, other than Metal Halide Lamps which shall be permitted.
4. High Color Temperature Lamp. The correlated color temperature (CCT) of any exterior light shall not exceed 4100 K.
D. Non-Conforming Uses.
1. Luminaires lawfully in place prior to the date of this Section but which do not conform to the requirements and standards of this Section shall be considered legal non-conforming uses.
2. Legal non-conforming luminaires that meet the performance standards for footcandle levels and screening requirements of this Section but exceed the physical standards such as height or setbacks herein may continue and are not subject to amortization requirements unless they are part of an illumination system that is to be changed as follows:
a. Illumination systems developed as part of a Planned Unit Development, Special Use, Annexation Agreement, Variation or other specific Village approval which, as of the date of these regulations, have an approved lighting plan and meet the performance criteria of their specific agreements but do not meet the requirements of this Section shall be considered legal non-conforming uses and shall be brought into conformity with the criteria and standards set forth herein when the illumination system is to be completely replaced.
b. Legal non-conforming illumination systems which were not part of a specific Village-approved lighting plan shall be brought into conformity with the criteria and standards set forth herein when the illumination system is to be replaced or modified by greater than 50 percent of its number of light fixtures, based on the total number of fixtures within the project limits.
c. Legal non-conforming luminaires that exceed the footcandle standards and/or direct light or glare towards streets, parking lots, residences or property lines and result in a problematic or dangerous condition shall be shielded, redirected or otherwise modified to meet the requirements of this Section.
E. Special Uses and Variations.
1. Special Use Permits. Lighting improvements that are part of a planned unit development or special use permit shall conform to these regulations or to any modifications determined via the public hearing process outlined in Section 5-101 of these regulations.
2. Variations. Lighting improvements that are part of by-right/permitted development shall conform to these regulations or to any variations determined via the public hearing process outlined in Section 5-101 of these regulations.
