15.2.1 Policy purpose. The purpose is to establish an official policy for the town pertaining to the installation of street lights for the purposes of traffic safety. This sets forth criteria for the installation of roadway lighting within the town limits in addition to general site lighting requirements of 15.1.1 which shall be applied where practicable.
The specific intent for this is as follows:
• Establish standards for the installation and maintenance of roadway lighting;
• Define illumination criteria specific to roadway lighting; and
• Identify lighting equipment to be used within the town.
15.2.2 Application. This Article, upon adoption, shall apply to all rights-of-way (streets and roads) within the municipal limits of the town and any rights-of-way (streets and roads) annexed in the future until such time that this is altered, modified, or rescinded by the Town Council. Lighting in annexed areas would be considered exempt upon the day of annexation.
15.2.3 Standards.
15.2.3.1 Lighting equipment.
Decorative pole lights are provided in residential areas. Luminaires shall be American Electric Lighting (AEL) “Revolution” (or similar) with post fitting. Poles are round, straight, aluminum to provide a 12-foot mounting height. Bases are direct buried or set with a concrete base installed with a minimal setback from the street, not to exceed the exposed pole height.
Utilitarian roadway lighting is provided in commercial areas. Luminaires shall be as determined by the furnishing utility. Poles are sized with respect to base to provide a 25-foot mounting height.
Most all of town roadway lighting is 4000K metal halide. Residential decorative luminaires are typically 100-150W. Roadway luminaires are typically 250-400W. All new installations shall be metal halide or solid state light emitting diodes (LED). LED lighting is to be 4000-5000K, or the latest technology in lighting available.
15.2.3.2 Design criteria and locations.
A. The placement of street lighting fixtures in residential areas shall be at 200- to 300-foot intervals and should be consistent with adjacent or adjoining residential areas unless:
1. The roadway length is less than 300 feet, in which case a street light will be provided near the midpoint of the street located intelligently for best coverage of the roadway and minimal encroachment of lot;
2. Where the roadway length is less than 150 feet and a street light is placed at the intersection and no natural features create a problem, no street light will be placed along the segment; or
3. The vertical and horizontal street alignment or natural features necessitate shorter spacing intervals.
B. The placement of street lighting shall be in accordance with the latest revision of the Illuminating Engineering Society’s Recommended Practice for Roadway Lighting (RP-8) as follows which uses Luminance (L, cd/m2) rather than Illuminance (E, fc) to evaluate outdoor lighting. For collector roads such as St. James Drive, a recommended 0.4-0.6 cd/m2 is recommended depending upon activity levels with average/minimum ratios and maximum/minimum ratios of 3.5 and 6.0, respectively. For the majority of town roads which are local roads, a recommended 0.3-0.5 cd/m2 is recommended depending upon activity levels with average/minimum ratios and maximum/minimum ratios of 6.0 and 10.0, respectively.
C. Intersections and Crosswalks: A street light shall be provided at all street intersections and at least one luminaire per end of crosswalk. It is not necessary to duplicate lighting equipment for these functions where they occur in proximity. Multi-purposing of lighting equipment for roadways, intersections, and crosswalks is recommended. Furthermore, luminaires at inters should be placed to illuminate street signs when feasible.
Intersections and Crosswalk Illumination | |||
Subject Area | Eavg | Evert |
AVG: MIN |
Collector road/local road intersection | 1.0 - 1.6 | n/a | 4:1 |
Local road/local road intersection | 0.8 - 1.4 | n/a | 6:1 |
Crosswalks1 | n/a | 2.0+ | n/a |
Other pedestrian conflict areas | 0.4 - 0.5 | 0.1 - 0.2 | 4:1 (horz) |
Notes: 1. Recommendation is given for mid-block crosswalks based on driver visibility. Illumination at crosswalks in areas of greater ambient illumination (such as at inters) should be increased. | |||
D. Street light fixtures shall conform to the following.
1. All fixtures in residential areas shall be either 100-watt (8,500-lumen) metal halide or LED luminaires with 5000-7000 lumens delivered and Type V distribution on standard poles 12 feet in height. The fixture shall be placed as close to the “neck” of cul-de-sacs as possible.
2. All fixtures along thoroughfares shall be no greater than 250-watt (23,800-lumen) metal halide lamp or LED luminaires with 14,000-19,000 lumens delivered in full-cutoff luminaires on standard poles 25 feet in height. Variations in mounting height with proper justification may be approved by the Zoning Administrator.
3. Through the site plan and subdivision plan approval process, the Town Council may approve street lighting which exceeds the standard town requirements for residential streets so as to reduce the length of sag vertical curves, provided the street lights are operational prior to the issuance of any certificates of occupancy on such street. In any case, the minimum allowable length of sag vertical curves shall be as follows: residential streets - 20 x A; cul-de-sacs and loop roads - 15 x A, where A is the algebraic difference in gradients.
15.2.3.3 Installation. The Town Council hereby establishes the following.
A. Street lighting facilities and street lights shall be provided by the developer on any roadway, portion of roadway, or widening prior to the town’s acceptance of that section for financial responsibility unless otherwise approved by the TOSJ UDO Administrator.
B. The owner, developer, or subdivider of a site plan or subdivision shall be required to provide street lighting, via underground distribution, along all proposed streets and along all adjoining existing streets and thoroughfares in accordance with this unless specifically approved otherwise by the Town Council.
C. Underground service for light fixtures within the corporate limits of the town is the responsibility of developer in conformance with the National Electric Safety Code (NESC) and National Electrical Code (NEC) standards at the developer’s expense.
D. The developer, property owners association, and/or the town’s Fire Department shall be responsible for all installation costs and monthly operating costs above what is accepted by policy of the Town Council associated with the street lights.
15.2.3.4 Modifications. The town partners with the local utility, Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation (BEMC), for installation and maintenance of street lighting per BEMC’s published monthly rates. Therefore, a developer may request to use decorative or “private” street lighting within a development provided:
A. Street light fixture types and locations must meet the minimum criteria set forth in this Article and must be approved by the town. Luminaires and poles that do not fit the character of the town will be rejected;
B. The developer and/or homeowners association shall be responsible for all installation costs and monthly operating costs above what is accepted by policy of the Town Council associated with the street lights;
C. Additional maintenance associated with cleaning and tree-pruning may be required to retain consistency with the rest of the town. All costs related to additional maintenance will be the responsibility of the property owners association;
D. The developer and/or homeowners association shall be responsible for any costs associated with deletion of the street lights and any costs associated with installing the town’s standard streetlights; and
E. The developer shall include all responsibilities of the homeowners association pertaining to the street lighting in the development covenants. The developer shall inform all purchasers of property in the development of these same responsibilities.
Residents along a street may request the relocation of a street light, provided that the proposed street light location meets town standards and the relocation is approved by the TOSJ UDO Administrator. Residents may request through the town a modification of an existing light fixture.
(Ord. passed 2-3-2021)