1. Applicability. The requirements of this Section shall apply to all outdoor lighting installations as follows:
A. Outdoor lighting installations that are designed, constructed, erected or otherwise placed into operation after the effective date of this Section.
B. Alterations, rehabilitations, or renovations to existing outdoor lighting installations, which are commenced after the effective date of this Section, and which involve the replacement of at least 50 percent of an existing lighting system or components with a new lighting system.
C. The requirements of this Section shall not apply to routine maintenance of outdoor lighting installations. Routine maintenance includes the following:
(1) Replacement of lamps that are burned-out or inoperative with lamps that do not exceed luminairs of those being replaced.
(2) Replacement/repair of damaged or inoperative luminaire components such as ballasts, igniters, lenses, reflectors, refractors, sockets or photocell controls.
D. Exemptions. The requirements of this Section shall not apply in the following circumstances:
(1) Where superseded by State or Federal law.
(2) Temporary emergency lighting used by police, fire, emergency medical services, public works or other public safety services.
(3) Hazard/warning lights required by State or Federal regulations.
(4) Public road street lighting.
(5) Temporary seasonal holiday lighting provided such lighting shall not be operated for more than 60 days.
2. Adoption by Reference.
A. The Township hereby adopts, for the purpose of establishing rules and regulations for the construction, alteration, design, layout, installation and use of outdoor lighting, specifications in the “IESNA Lighting Handbook,” 10th edition, published by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (“IESNA”) and hereby incorporates such recommended practices as fully as if set forth at length herein, save and except such portions as are hereinafter deleted, modified or amended. From the date on which this Section shall take effect, the provisions thereof shall be controlling in the design, construction and operation of all outdoor lighting within the Township.
B. The recommended practices of the IESNA Lighting Handbook hereby adopted are amended as follows:
(1) All the recommendations made in the Lighting Handbook shall be considered mandatory requirements. For the purposes of this Section, the words “should,” “may,” etc., shall be read as “shall” or “must,” the words “recommend” or “recommendation” shall be read as “require” or “requirement,” the phrase “it is recommended” shall be read as “it is required,” and the phrase “it is not recommended” shall be read as “it is prohibited.”
(2) Future amendments to the recommended practices of the Lighting Handbook shall become a part of this Section without further action by the Township.
(3) Where the Lighting Handbook provides for alternatives, this Section requires that the safest alternative, as determined by the Township, be used.
C. General Design Requirements. The design calculations for outdoor lighting installations shall be in accordance with the Lighting Handbook. This includes, but is not limited to, technical definitions, terminology, calculations methods and procedures, photometric classifications and photometric testing procedures. Illuminance selection should be based on the usage of the area to be illuminated, the level of activity, and nighttime security requirements.
D. Illumination Levels. Illumination shall have intensities and uniformity ratios in accordance with the current recommended practices of IESNA as contained in the Lighting Handbook.
3. General Regulations.
A. All outdoor lighting shall be aimed, located, designed, fitted and maintained so as not to present a hazard (i.e., disabling glare) to drivers or pedestrians by impairing their ability to safely traverse the lighted area.
B. Floodlights and spotlights, when permitted, shall be installed and/or aimed so that they do not project their output at neighboring residences, adjacent uses, directly skyward or onto a roadway, so as not to create a measurable performance standards at lot line as contained in Table 502.1 for a neighboring use or property.
C. Maximum Illuminance at Property Line.
(1) The following table lists the maximum permitted illuminance levels, from all sources, that can be projected onto an adjacent property:
Table 502.1 Maximum Maintained Illuminance Levels Produced by Outdoor Lighting Installations Permitted at Property Lines | |
Vertical Footcandles Measured At 1.5 m (5 Feet) above Final Grade | |
Property line adjoins a public roadway or public right-of-way | 0.5 |
Property line adjoins a nonresidential property | 0.2 |
Property line adjoins a residential property | 0.1 |
(2) Designated vehicular, cyclist, and pedestrian entries/exits between properties and public roadways, streets, highways, alleys, and cartways are exempt from requirements listed in Table 502.1. The excepted area of illumination shall not extend beyond 50 feet from the centerline of the designated entry/exit in any direction along the property line(s) of the said property.
D. Parking facility and vehicular and pedestrian-way lighting (except for safety and security applications and all-night business operations) for nonresidential uses shall be automatically extinguished no later than 30 minutes after the close of business or facility operation. When safety or security lighting is proposed for after-hours illumination, it shall not be in excess of 25 percent of the number of fixtures or illumination level required or permitted for illumination during regular business hours. When it can be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Township than an elevated security risk exists, (e.g., a history or relevant crime), an appropriate increase above the 25 percent may be permitted.
E. Except as otherwise permitted in this Section, fixtures meeting IESNA full cutoff criteria shall not be mounted in excess of 20 feet above finished grade. Fixtures not meeting IESNA “full cutoff” criteria shall not be mounted in excess of 16 feet above grade.
F. Fixtures shall be a type and design appropriate to the lighting application and aesthetically fitting and, where appropriate, based on the recommendation of the Historic Commission for properties designated on the Springfield Township List of Historic Structures or in Historic Areas. The use of searchlights, flashing strobe lights, and laser lights is prohibited.
G. Vegetation screens shall not be employed to serve as the primary means for controlling glare. Glare control shall be achieved primarily through the use of such means as cutoff fixtures, shields and baffles and appropriate application of fixture mounting height, wattage, aiming angle and fixture placement.
H. Electrical feeds for lighting standards shall be run underground. Temporary lighting for permitted special, seasonal events or agricultural work may employ interim overhead wiring.
I. Lighting standards in parking areas shall be placed a minimum of 5 feet outside paved area, or on concrete pedestals at least 30 inches high above the pavement, or suitably protected by other approved means.
J. Luminaires and ancillary equipment shall be maintained to meet the requirements of this Section.
4. Requirements for All Outdoor Area and Private Roadway Lighting Installations, Except Single- Family Dwelling and Farm Properties (Subsection .7, Below) and Outdoor Sports and Recreational Facilities (Subsection .5, Below).
A. Use of Full Cutoff Luminaires Required. All luminaires employed in outdoor area and private roadway lighting installations shall be the full cutoff luminaire type.
(1) The classification of candlepower distribution of a luminaire as a full cutoff type shall be in accordance with the IESNA Lighting Handbook. The manufacturer of the luminaire shall provide certification of the full cutoff classification based on photometric testing performed in accordance with the Lighting Handbook and the applicable testing procedures referenced therein. The requirement for the use of full cutoff luminaire types shall include, but is not limited to, the following outdoor area and roadway lighting configurations:
(a) Pole-mounted luminaires.
(b) Luminaires mounted on the exterior of buildings and structures.
(c) Luminaires mounted on or within exterior canopies of buildings and structures.
(d) Pedestal or bollard mounted luminaires.
(2) Full cutoff luminaires shall be mounted plumb and level in accordance with the intended application of their design. For the purposes of this requirement, the photometric nadir of the luminaire (0-degree vertical angle of the candlepower distribution) shall be oriented plumb, and the vertical angle of 90 degrees above nadir (horizontal) shall be oriented level. Full cutoff luminaires shall not be installed in a canted or tilted position that permits light distribution above the horizontal.
(3) Luminaires that do not meet the strict definition for full cutoff luminaires, yet employ advanced or alternative technology that causes the photometric performance to approach that of full cutoff luminaires, may be approved by the Township, on a case-by-case basis. Such luminaires include, but are not limited to, period-style luminaires with refractive globes and internal cutoff reflectors. At a minimum, all period-style decorative luminaires, when their use is approved by the Township for a specific application, shall be cutoff luminaires.
B. Illumination Under Outdoor Canopies. All outdoor under canopy lighting for such applications as gas/service stations, hotel/theater marquees, fast food/bank/drugstore drive-ups shall comply with the requirements of this subsection. All such canopy lighting shall be accomplished using flat-lens full-cutoff fixtures aimed straight down and shielded in such a manner that the lowest opaque edge of the fixture shall be level with or below the light source. Canopies themselves may not be illuminated, however, with the exception of the portion that is classified as a sign.
5. Outdoor Sports and Recreational Lighting. These regulations shall apply to all public and private sports and recreational facilities including, but not limited to, ballfields, ballparks, stadiums, tennis courts, soccer fields, recreation fields, swimming pools, skating rinks, and the like. Where permitted, the outdoor lighting of sports and recreational facilities shall comply with the following requirements:
A. All sports and recreational facilities shall be illuminated with the following two systems:
(1) Performance Area Lighting. This is the lighting directed upon the field, court, rink, etc., to illuminate the sports/recreational activity taking place upon/within that facility. The maximum permitted post heights for the performance area lighting is 60 feet. Post height shall be limited to minimum height necessary to meet the performance area lighting needs of that specific sports/recreational use as determined by the Township, based on evaluation of the proposed lighting plan.
(2) General Area Lighting. This is a low-level lighting system used to facilitate pedestrian circulation, patrons leaving the facility, cleanup, nighttime maintenance, etc. General area lighting shall meet all the requirements for outdoor area and roadway lighting installations listed above in subsection .4.
B. Use of Full Cutoff Luminaries Required. All luminaires employed in outdoor sports and recreational lighting installations shall be the full cutoff luminaire type unless the performance area lighting needs of the sports/recreational use cannot be met through the use of full cutoff luminaires, as determined by the Township, based on evaluation of the proposed lighting plan.
C. Use of Glare Shields Required for Non-cutoff Luminary Types. Where non-cutoff luminaires, such as floodlights, are specifically permitted by the Township for performance area lighting, the luminaires shall be equipped with glare shields, visors, barn doors or other similar shielding accessories as required, to the extent practicable, to cut off candlepower distribution at angles below the horizontal (level) to restrict direct illumination to within the performance area being illuminated for sports and recreation purposes.
D. Design Submittal and Approval Requirements. The design for all outdoor sports and recreation lighting installations shall be submitted for review and approval by the Township, according to the requirements of the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, § 403.
E. Permission to illuminate such facilities shall be granted only when the Township is satisfied that the health, safety and welfare rights of nearby property owners and the Township as a whole have been properly protected. All sports and recreational lighting shall be extinguished when the performance area is not in use. In addition, the performance area lighting shall be turned off no more than 30 minutes after the end of the event or use of the sports-recreational facility.
F. For-profit recreational facilities can be illuminated only in the HC or PI Districts.
6. Requirements for Outdoor Nonresidential Sign Lighting, Outdoor lighting of Facades of Buildings and Structures and Outdoor Landscape Lighting.
A. Applicability of Requirements. The requirements of this subsection apply to all outdoor lighting installations employed for the nighttime illumination of signs, billboards, the facades of buildings and structures, fountains, trees, shrubs, vegetation and the like.
B. Use of Full Cutoff Luminaries Required. All luminaires employed in outdoor lighting of signs, facades and landscape shall be of the full cutoff luminaire type.
C. See Article 9 for regulations regarding illumination of signs and billboards.
D. Fixtures used for architectural lighting, e.g., facade, fountain, feature and landscape lighting shall be designed, fitted and aimed so as not to project their output beyond the objects intended to be illuminated.
E. All outdoor lighting falling under the requirements of this subsection shall be extinguished between 11 p.m. and dawn. This restriction does not apply to nonresidential uses that are open between the hours of 11 p.m. and dawn, in which case the lighting must be extinguished when the nonresidential use is closed.
7. Requirements for Residential and Farm Outdoor Lighting.
A. Applicability of Requirements. The requirements of this subsection apply to all outdoor lighting installations located on residential lots developed with a single-family dwelling, a two- family dwelling, or a farm. Luminaries with an aggregate rated output of 500 lumens (approximately the intensity of a standard 40-watt incandescent lamp) are exempt from the requirements of this subsection.
B. Use of Glare Shields Required for Non-cutoff Luminaire Types. All non-cutoff luminaires, such as floodlights, shall be equipped with glare shields, visors, barn doors, or other similar shielding accessories as required to meet the following criteria:
(1) For area lighting applications, the candlepower distribution from all luminaires shall be cutoff at and above the horizontal (level).
(2) For all other applications, the candlepower distribution from all luminaires shall be cutoff at all angles beyond those required to restrict direct illumination to within the area or surface being illuminated.
8. Temporary Outdoor Lighting.
A. Applicability of Requirements. The requirements of this subsection apply to all outdoor lighting installations which are employed on a temporary basis not exceeding 30-days in duration. Temporary lighting installations include, but are not limited to, carnivals, community fairs, traveling circuses, and the like.
B. Use of Glare Shield Required for Non-cutoff Luminaire Types. All non-cutoff luminaires such as floodlights shall be equipped with glare shields, visors, barn doors, and other similar shielding accessories as required to cutoff candlepower distribution at all angles beyond those required to restrict direct illumination to within the perimeter of the area, surface, object or feature being illuminated.
9. Lighting Plan. The design for all nonresidential (commercial, industrial, institutional, sport and recreational) outdoor area and private roadway lighting installations, excluding agricultural installations, shall be submitted for review and approval by the Township prior to issuance of a zoning permit and construction of the outdoor lighting installation. Requirements for the lighting plan are detailed in the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, § 403.
10. Post-Installation Inspection.
A. The Township reserves the right to conduct a post-installation nighttime inspection to verify compliance with the requirements of this Ordinance, and if appropriate, to require remedial action at no expense to the Township.
(Ord. passed 10-2-2007, § 501; Ord. 170, passed 6-24-2014, Art. II)