A. General Standards:
1. Correlated Color Temperature: All exterior lighting shall utilize light sources to not exceed three thousand (3,000) Kelvin.
2. Light Trespass and Overlighting: All existing and/or new exterior lighting shall not cause light trespass and shall protect adjacent properties from glare and excessive lighting. All vehicle lighting originating from a commercial property shall be shielded from other adjacent properties. Incidental light trespass (lighting emanating from turning motor vehicles) is permitted.
3. Maximum Lighting Allowed: The total amount of outdoor lighting shall not exceed the following maximum lumen allowances per site as identified below per zoning district in Table 9-3B-1. Maximum Lumen Allowance. These lumen allowances are upper limits and should not be interpreted as design goals. Instead, design goals should be the lowest levels of lumens necessary to meet lighting requirements of the site.
TABLE 9-3B-1.
MAXIMUM LUMEN ALLOWANCE
Zoning District | Recreation & Open Space (REC, OS. OR-1) | Residential (RS-1, RS-2, RM-1, RM-2) | Commercial & Public Institutional (CC, SC, PI) |
Allowed Base Lumens Per Site | 2000 Lm | 5,000 Lm | 14,000 Lm |
Total Site Lumen Allowance | .5 Lm (Lot Square footage)1 | 5000 + 1.25 Lm (Allowable Building Footprint) | 14,000 + 5 Lm (Proposed Building Footprint)2 |
1 Additional lumens in excess of the calculated allowance may be permitted through the design review process for conditionally permitted uses in the Recreation zoning district, including but not limited to schools, churches, etc. with a finding the exceeding the allowance is necessary to meet public safety or security needs.
2 Additional lumens in excess of the calculated allowance may be permitted through the design review process in Commercial and Public Institutional zoning districts with a finding that exceeding the allowance is necessary to meet public safety or security needs.
4. Nonessential Lighting: All nonessential exterior commercial, recreational, and residential lighting shall be turned off after business hours and/or when not in use. Lights on a timer shall be used. Sensor activated lights shall be used to replace existing lighting that is desired for security purposes.
5. Area Lights: All area lights, including streetlights and parking area lighting, shall be level mounted and a minimum eighty-five degree (85°) full cutoff type luminaires.
a. Residential streetlights shall be LED and are limited to six thousand four hundred (6,400) lumens, unless otherwise recommended by the Street Department.
b. Non-residential streetlights shall be LED and are limited to nine thousand five hundred (9,500) lumens, unless otherwise recommended by the Street Department.
c. Parking area lights shall be no taller than seventeen feet (17') as measured from the ground to their tallest point. Parking area lights in the Commercial and Public Institutional zoning districts shall have a correlated color temperature of no greater than twenty-seven hundred Kelvin (2,700K) and shall utilize adaptive lighting controls to reduce light output during vacant periods. Parking area lights are encouraged to be greater in number, lower in height and lower in light level, as opposed to fewer in number, higher in height and higher in light level. Parking lot lighting shall not exceed the Illuminating Engineering Society of North American (IESNA) recommended illuminance (foot-candle) level and are encouraged to utilize the lowest range available.
d. All freestanding area lights within a residential zone, except streetlights, shall be mounted at a height equal to or less than the value 3 + (D/3), where D is the distance in feet to the nearest property boundary and are not to exceed twelve feet (12').
e. Freestanding luminaires shall be no higher than seventeen feet (17') from the ground level to the top of the luminaires, except that luminaires used for playing fields shall be exempt from the height restriction provided all other provisions of this chapter are met and the light is used only while the field or court is in use; and except that street lights on arterial streets may exceed seventeen feet in height, with recommendation by the Commission, and only with a finding that exceeding seventeen feet is necessary to protect the safety of residences of the City. Freestanding luminaires in the Commercial and Public Institutional zoning districts shall have a correlated color temperature of no greater than twenty-seven hundred Kelvin (2,700K) and shall utilize adaptive lighting controls to reduce light output during vacant periods.
6. Public Outdoor Lighting: Public outdoor lighting, including holiday lighting, shall be permitted to ensure the safety and enjoyment of the intended public use. All public lighting shall comply with the standards established herein and shall be turned off after hours of operation or when not in use. When practically possible, motion sensors shall be used. New public outdoor lighting, including street lighting, parking area lights, freestanding luminaires, and exterior fixtures on municipal buildings shall be allowed as recommended by the Street Department and Community Development Department when determined necessary for public safety and/or security needs.
7. IESNA Guidelines: The Commission or Community Development Director may require that any new lighting or existing lighting that comes before them meet the guidelines for maximum illuminance output as established by the IESNA.
8. Luminaires: Idaho Power shall not install any luminaires after the effective date hereof that light the public right of way without first receiving approval for any such application by the Community Development Director and Street Department.
B. Illuminance and Type of Lamp:
1. Illuminance levels for parking lots, sidewalks, and other walkways provided illuminance from side mounted building lights, and freestanding sidewalk lights (not streetlights) shall not exceed maximum illuminance levels listed in the most current “IESNA Recommended Practices.” The city recognizes that not every such area will require lighting.
2. Aboveground parking lot lighting shall not exceed an overall average illumination of 1.5 foot-candles (1.5 Lumens/Square foot). Interior parking structure lighting shall not exceed the minimum security illumination levels listed in the most current “IESNA Recommended Practices”.
3. The use of lighting for exterior wall washing is discouraged and limited for residences, condominiums, and apartments; the use of recessed eaves lighting to achieve wall washing is preferred, and wall washing should strive for uniform illumination distribution. The maximum average illumination limits for wall washing are:
a. Dark colored exterior surfaces: 1.0 foot-candle (1.0 Lumens/Square foot).
b. Light colored exterior surfaces: 0.5 foot-candle (.5 Lumens/Square foot).
c. Illuminance measurements of indirect light creating wall wash shall be measured with an illuminance meter four feet (4') from ground level with the meter held horizontally and touching the wall surface.
C. Lighting Fixtures:
1. All exterior lighting shall comply with the acceptable lighting fixtures located in Figure 1. Lighting Fixture Guidelines, of this subsection C. All exterior lighting shall be full cutoff fixtures with the light source fully shielded, except as exempted in this chapter.
2. Luminaires that have a maximum output under one thousand (1,000) lumens per fixture (equal to one 60-watt incandescent lamp) regardless of number of lamps, may be partially shielded provided the luminaires have an opaque top or are under a solid overhang.
3. In no case shall clear glass or highly translucent glass luminaires be allowed where the lamp is visible. Clear glass gas lanterns are exempt from this requirement.
4. Nonresidential Luminaires: Nonresidential luminaires may deviate from the requirements of these exterior lighting regulations only upon submitting for Commission approval a design review application under article A of this chapter, detailing the specific reasons for the proposed deviation. The Commission may approve, deny, or approve with conditions any such application submitted under this section.
D. Tables and Information Sheets: The following figures and information sheets shall be guidelines for the public and the city for use in enforcing this article. The city does not endorse or discriminate against any manufacturer or company that may be shown, portrayed or mentioned by the examples. Additional information is provided at the Sun Valley Community Development Department.
Figure 1. Lighting Fixture Guidelines
TABLE 9-3B-2.
LIGHTING FIXTURE EXCEPTIONS AND ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Type Of Lighting | Full Cutoff Light Fixture | Light Trespass Standards | Additional Requirements |
Type Of Lighting | Full Cutoff Light Fixture | Light Trespass Standards | Additional Requirements |
Canopy lighting | Required | Not exempt | All canopy lighting, such as service station lighting or covered entries, shall be fully recessed or fully shielded so as to ensure that no light source is visible from or causes glare on public rights-of-way or adjacent properties. |
Uplighting | Not required | Not exempt | Uplighting is prohibited in all zoning districts except as where permitted in this chapter. |
Outdoor Recreational Lighting | Required | Not exempt | Exempt from lumen allowance and height requirements. |
Field lighting must be designed, directed, and shielded to illuminate only the surface of play and the viewing stands. | |||
Shall follow IESNA recommended guidelines according to the appropriate class of recreational sport. | |||
Lighting shall be completely extinguished by 11:00 PM or one hour after the end of the event, whichever is later. Timers shall be utilized. | |||
Flagpole lighting | Not required | Exempt | Upward flagpole lighting is permitted for governmental flags only. |
The maximum lumen output shall be 1,300 lumens. | |||
The external beam shall minimize light trespass and glare. | |||
Flags are encouraged to be taken down at sunset to avoid the need for lighting. | |||
Floodlights | Required | Not exempt | Floodlights with external shielding shall be angled provided that no light escapes above a 25-degree angle measured from the vertical line from the center of the light extended to the ground. |
Floodlights (cont.) | Floodlights shall not cause glare or light to shine directly on adjacent property or public rights-of-way | ||
Residential floodlights shall be turned off by eleven (11:00) P.M. | |||
Shall be encouraged to use timers that allow a floodlight to go on at dusk and off by eleven (11:00) PM. | |||
Shall be required to be motion sensor activated. | |||
Halogen flood lights are exempt from the color temperature requirements set forth in this chapter. | |||
Holiday lights | Not required | Exempt | Residential holiday lighting shall only be displayed from November 20th to March 15th. |
Commercial holiday lighting shall only be displayed from November 1st to March 15th. | |||
Holiday lights are exempt from color temperature requirements set forth in this chapter. | |||
All new holiday lighting shall be LED lighting, or a bulb that has been demonstrated to be the most energy efficient technology available. | |||
Flashing holiday lighting is not permitted. | |||
All private holiday lighting shall be turned off at the close of business hours in the Commercial Center Zoning District, and after 11:00 PM in all other zoning districts. | |||
Neon lights | Not required | Not exempt | Not permitted. |
Sign Lighting | Required | Not exempt | Lighting must be designed, directed, and shielded to illuminate only the face of the sign; and to prevent glare and light trespass onto neighboring properties or into a public right-of-way. |
Sign Lighting (cont.) | Signs may be illuminated via internal, external, backlit, or pan channel lighting. | ||
Sign lighting must also meet the requirements as defined in Article F. Sign Regulations, Table 9-3F-2: Sign Category Chart. | |||
Sensor activated lighting | Required | Exempt | Shall be located so as to prevent lighting into adjacent properties or into a public right-of-way. |
Lighting shall activate only when motion on the property is detected and shall deactivate within no more than 5 minutes. | |||
Lighting shall not be triggered by any activity off the property or in the public right-of-way. | |||
The maximum lumen output shall be 600 lumens. | |||
Temporary emergency and traffic control lighting | Not required | Exempt | Lighting utilized by public safety services (fire, police, repair workers). |
Temporary lighting | Required | Exempt | Lumens output shall be approved by Community Development Director. |
TABLE 9-3B-3.
ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT RESTRICTIONS
Development | Full Cutoff Light Fixture | Light Trespass Standards | Additional Requirements |
Motor vehicle fueling stations and motor vehicle service stations | Required | Not exempt | The average foot-candle lighting level at the pump for new and existing service stations is required to be no greater than 30 foot-candle average, as set by the IESNA for urban service stations. |
Towers for radio communication and navigation | Not required | Not exempt | All radio, communication and navigation towers that require lights shall have dual lighting capabilities. |
For daytime, the white strobe light may be used, and for nighttime, only red lights shall be used. | |||
Lighting that is required by legal jurisdictions are exempt from this provision. |
(Ord. 382, 10-25-2006; amd. Ord. 543, 9-3-2020)