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Night sky ordinance

D

D a v e W

Silver Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2009
Messages
176
Location
Lake Stevens, WA
I worked part time years ago which had an ordinance of this type. I am curious about other jurisdiction as we had this pitched to our council earlier this week. As they the "devil is in the details", I cannot remember the pit falls when it came to enforcement.

Links to anyones website with your ordinance or some pitfall bullet points would be great. Also how diffucult is it to enforce if your AHJ does not preform electric inspection, which are handled through the state.

Thanks! :D
 
Re: Night sky ordinance

http://www.kalispell.com/downloads/Kali ... 010-08.pdf

Pages 86 thru 96

Pretty easy to enforce on new commercial, Zoning, fire, parks and public works have to sign off that all their individual requirements have been met. Been one year now that existing businesses where suppose to have retrofitted. Council extended the time frame for them to submit a plan and have it approved with a date of completion. Failure to comply could be a citation, (doubt it)

Parking lots are a expensive retro because when the poles are shortened and shields installed additional lighting is required to maintain safe levels of light to deter crime and be able to see when walking. This can require additional electrical cutting asphalt and patching not pretty.

We don't do electrical either so it requires upfront documentation with the lighting levels detailed on a site plan. it is part of our "site approval process thru the "site review committee"

I wasn't a fan when first proposed but living in the country and driving in during the dark I can see the differance it has made.

Residential dwellings are suppose to retro also but enforcement of that is being ignored at this time.
 
Re: Night sky ordinance

Dave,

How about starting with the city street lights, ball park lights, stadium lights, tennis courts, etc.?

Here is a company that sells lights that are suppose to help;

(Click on "Light Pollution Information" (top center); and, scroll down to the bottom to see a lot of links that might be helpful; including State and local government regulations.)

http://www.starrynightlights.com/Ordina ... hting.html

This site has several Pennsylvania local government ordinances;

http://www.polcouncil.org/polc2/ordinanc.htm

Now, I don't have a problem with an ordinance that prohibits exterior home lights from intruding on neighbors homes and yards; and, personally I would like to see all street lights eliminated.

Hope the above links helps,

Uncle Bob
 
Re: Night sky ordinance

Uncle Bob said:
.....and, personally I would like to see all street lights eliminated.
Click to expand...
I was thinking about that the other night as I was taking a walk. When the Bay Bridge was new they had temporary lights draped on it to show it off, when World War II broke out they took them down to protect us during blackouts when the Japanese fighters were supposedly attacking us. In the 70s they made a big deal about draping permanent lights on it to make it prettier at night, as I was walking looking at street lights the other night I was thinking of all this energy efficiency BS, making us install florescent lights that make our rooms look placid, I thought why don't they just turn the lights off on all the bridges and trun off all the street lights? I can't believe we are going to have nefarious criminals hiding in the bushes to attack us, what good do street lights do anyway? Cars have lights, who needs street lights?

bay_bridge.jpg
 
Re: Night sky ordinance

who needs street lights?
Click to expand...
City folks and when they move to their dream mini farm in the country or woods the first thing they do is install a street light in their yard. :roll:
 
Re: Night sky ordinance

MT thats so true, they move out to no where and get scared of the dark :lol: So they install a bright light to keep the boggyman away! Thats funny :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Re: Night sky ordinance

I have not and will not install dusk to dawn lights. I like seeing the stars and the booger man will not get me. Want to talk about "green" puke... Hey mr and ms... liberal... TURN OFF YOUR LIGHTS!!!!!!!
 
Re: Night sky ordinance

I still have a home in northern Colorado over looking Ft Collins to the southwest with Long's Peak in the background. Love the no lights, when there is no moon you cannot even see the ground your walking on. And you hear nothing and I mean nothing. :D
 
Re: Night sky ordinance

When we lived in Monticello, our bedroom window faced the street. There was a street light directly across from my window. That sucked! Out in Cochecton we live on a County Road and the nearest street light is a few hundred yards away, through a thick wooded area and about 60' lower than my yard. Having grown up with few lights on my old road as a child, I always preferred to see the stars at night. Hope my next home is rural...

The Town of Montgomery does have some pretty strict lighting rules, especially for 'new' projects. Our Planning Board has a member who has been a lighting consultant for a local power purveyor for over 30 years. We usually have him check for compliance and advise of any issues.
 
Re: Night sky ordinance

This refer to new constructoin only anything before the dark sky does not have to retrofit unless new work is done at that project.

Well in a nutshell the only lights allowed to shone upward are supposed to be under 150 Watts. And they are only to be used to illuminate a sign. the rest are to shine down or be covered on the top.

We as the building deptment do not enforce that part since it is a zoning ordinance and required the planning dept to sign off on the design location and approval of the light, signs, etc. We sign off only on the construction details as to footing, electrical, etc.

Scottsdale, Az goes to the extra mile by even checking the lighting design at night.

Here'd a copy of the design guidelines used for new submittals. Note that lighting is mentioned many times and has to meet the Dark Sky Ordiance. http://www.ajcity.net/DocumentView.aspx?DID=554
 
Re: Night sky ordinance

Dave,

My biggest peeve about exterior lighting is lights that buzz or flicker or cycle on-and-off. All of these are preventable problems.

Puget Sound Energy's IntoLight division goes to some trouble to minimize these problems. They understand these problems, so it is actually very little trouble to nip them in the bud. You might want to ask your local street light provider(s) about this issue, or ask IntoLight for suggestions.

-- Jasper

P.S. This message was neither reviewed nor approved by my employer (which happens to be Puget Sound Energy).
 
Re: Night sky ordinance

San José, California has a night sky ordinance designed to protect the Mount Hamilton observatory.

It has a very unfortunate provision -- it requires nearly monochromatic street lights. Not only does this make color vision impossible, the street light color is almost the same as the color of yellow traffic lights. I therefore have a hard time driving around San José at night.
 
Re: Night sky ordinance

Wow Jasper, that really explains something, I've always hated driving in San Jose, especially in rain at night, I always attributed it to the way the area has grown, but the more I think of it one rainy night I had a heck of a time finding my way out of town, I guess I couldn't see where I was going.
 
Re: Night sky ordinance

My friends at PSE are here watching :shock: Nice to have your thoughts I will check with our PW as to what they might or might not know. :lol:
 
Re: Night sky ordinance

Late to the party here, but like some of the others, we require plans showing illumination levels at property lines to be submitted at development/permit review, and then we require an on-site lighting survey (photometric) to be performed to make sure the illumination levels do not exceed the levels on the approved plans.

I also have a digital light meter, and will go out from time to time as necessary to ensure compliance, if we receive a complaint. We too prohibit the lighting element from being visible from adjoining residentially zoned property.
 
Re: Night sky ordinance

In proximity to an airport the FAA rules the night sky. We need (most) exterior lighting to be night friendly downlighting.

Agree about the beauty of the night sky - I often sit in the yard stargazing and can spot satellites and... other night sky phenomena
 
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