(a) Purpose.
(1) The overall purpose of this section is to control the installation of outdoor lighting fixtures to prevent light pollution in the forms of light trespass and glare, and to preserve, protect, and enhance the character of the City and the lawful nighttime use and enjoyment of property located within the City. Appropriate site lighting, including lights for signs, buildings and streets, shall be arranged so as to provide safety, utility and security, and to control light trespass and glare on adjacent properties and public roadways.
(2) In addition to the overall purpose above, outdoor lighting is a central element of the Sharonville NLO District where development is encouraged to have a multi-layered lighting design that reinforces the Sharonville Northern Lights vision throughout the district. The use of lighting in all architectural and landscaping elements in the district provides opportunity to immerse the viewer in the district experience. The ambience of the lighting will encourage interaction of visitors with the surrounding environment.
(b) Applicability. The standards of this section shall apply to all development activities, subject to review under this code, with the following exceptions:
(1) Lighting related to single-family dwellings are exempt; however, all lighting for these uses, with the exception of low-voltage landscaping lighting, shall be completely shielded from adjacent properties.
(2) Decorative outdoor lighting fixtures with bulbs of less than twenty -five (25) watts, installed seasonally, are exempt from the requirements of this section.
(3) Fully shielded decorative lighting attached to a building or placed in landscaping and directed onto a building shall be exempt from the requirements of this section, provided direct light emissions are not intended to be visible above the building's roof line. This exception shall not include decorative lighting used to illuminate a sign, which is regulated by Chapter 1123: Signs.
(4) Light fixtures used to illuminate flags, statutes, and any other objects mounted on a pole, pedestal, or platform shall be exempt from the requirements of this section, provided these objects are illuminated using a narrow cone beam or light fixtures designed to minimize light spillage beyond the illuminated object.
(5) Lighting for certain outdoor recreational uses, because of their unique requirements for nighttime visibility and their limited hours of operation, are exempt from this section. However, such uses, including but not limited to, ball diamonds, playing fields, tennis courts and other similar outdoor recreational uses, shall be required to meet the following standards:
A. Cutoff from a lighting source that illuminates an outdoor recreational use may exceed an angle of ninety (90) degrees from the pole, provided that the luminaries are shielded to prevent light and glare to spill over to adjacent residential properties.
B. The maximum permitted illumination at the lot lines shall be two footcandles.
C. Exterior lighting for an outdoor recreational use shall be extinguished no later than 11:00 p.m.
(6) Temporary construction or emergency lighting is exempt from the requirements of this section. Such lighting shall be discontinued immediately upon completion of the construction work or abatement of the emergency necessitating such lighting.
(7) Nothing in this chapter shall apply to lighting required by the FAA or any other federal regulatory authority.
(c) Applicability and Exterior Lighting Plan.
(1) A lighting plan is required for all uses that are required to file for site plan review and shall be approved according to the procedures set forth in Section 1129.07. Such lighting plan shall not be required to include a photometric study unless the proposed use is a multi-family dwelling with ten (10) or more units or a nonresidential use is proposed to be located adjacent to a lot in a residential district or that is occupied by an existing residential use.
(2) All existing uses on which outdoor lighting is installed or changed shall conform to these standards, regardless if a lighting plan is required.
(3) The lighting plan shall demonstrate compliance with the outdoor lighting standards of this section.
(d) General Requirements.
(1) All outdoor lighting fixtures regulated according to this section, including but not limited to those used for parking areas, buildings, building overhangs, canopies, signs, displays and landscaping, shall be full-cutoff type fixtures, unless exempted per Section 1113.03(b).
A. Any use that has a canopy with lighting fixtures attached to the bottom of the canopy shall utilize recessed ceiling fixtures.
B. Signs that are wholly illuminated from within and freestanding signs that are externally illuminated with an exposed incandescent lamp not exceeding forty (40) watts shall not require shielding.
C. Non-cutoff luminaires may be used when the maximum initial lumens generated by each luminaire shall not exceed 9500 initial lamp lumens per luminaire.
D. All metal halide, mercury vapor, fluorescent, induction, white high-pressure sodium, and color improved high pressure sodium lamps used in non-cutoff luminaires shall be coated with an internal white frosting inside the outer lamp envelope.
E. The luminaire shall utilize an internal refractive lens or a wide-body refractive globe for all metal halide luminaires equipped with a medium base socket.
F. All non-cutoff open-bottom luminaires shall be equipped with full cutoff luminaire shields that reduce glare and limit uplight.
(2) All on-site lighting of buildings, lawns, landscaping, parking areas, and signs shall be designed so as not to shine onto any adjacent residential property or building, or to cause glare onto any public street or vehicle thereon.
(3) Illumination that is required consistently across the site shall be designed so as not to create dark spots that may create safety issues in such areas as vehicular use areas and connecting pedestrian paths.
(4) For all nonresidential uses in any residential district, all outdoor lighting fixtures, including parking, display, and aesthetic lighting, shall be turned off after business hours. Only that lighting needed for safety or security may remain lit after close of business, in which case the lighting shall be reduced to the minimum level necessary.
(5) The lighting under vehicular canopies shall be designed so as not to create glare off-site, with a maximum point of horizontal illuminance of 24.0 maintained footcandles. Acceptable lighting methods include one or more of the following:
A. Recessed luminaire incorporating a lens cover that is either recessed or flush with the bottom surface (ceiling) of the vehicular canopy;
B. Luminaire incorporating shields, or shielded by the edge of the vehicular canopy itself, so that light is restrained to five degrees or more below the horizontal plane;
C. Surface mounted luminaire incorporating a flat glass that provides a cutoff optic or shielded light distribution;
D. Surface mounted luminaire, typically measuring two (2) feet by two (2) feet, with a lens cover that contains at least two percent (2%) white fill diffusion material; or
E. Indirect lighting where light is beamed upward and then reflected down from the underside of the vehicular canopy. Such luminaires shall be shielded such that direct illumination is focused exclusively on the underside of the vehicular canopy.
(6) There shall be a maximum illumination of 0.5 footcandles at the lot line in all residential districts and for any nonresidential use that abuts a lot in a residential zoning district or lot occupied by an existing residential use.
(7) There shall be a maximum illumination level of 0.2 footcandles along any street right-of-way.
(8) Beyond the maximum illumination levels above, the outdoor lighting shall produce an average light level along pedestrian walkways of at least 0.6 maintained footcandles.
(9) Service connections for all freestanding lighting pole assemblies shall be located underground.
(10) Measurement.
A. Light levels shall be measured in foot-candles with a direct reading, portable light meter. Readings shall be taken only after the cell has been exposed long enough to take a constant reading.
B. Measurements shall be taken at the property line, along a horizontal plane at a height of three and one-half (3.5) feet above the ground.
(11) Maximum Height of Light Poles. The total height of exterior lighting poles shall not exceed the following height regulations. Height shall be measured from the average grade surrounding each light pole:
TABLE 1113-6: MAXIMUM HEIGHT OF LIGHT POLES | |
District | Maximum height |
R1-A, R1-B, R2-C, and R-M | 14 feet |
OB, LB, CBD, and SM-D | 14 feet along any pedestrian sidewalk or walkway and 20 feet in vehicular use areas |
GB, CS, GI, and ITC | 14 feet along any pedestrian sidewalk or walkway and 30 feet in vehicular use areas |
Planned Unit Developments | As determined during the approval process. |
(Ord. 2022-22. Passed 5-10-22.)