[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Council of the Town of Glocester 12-18-2003,
effective 1-14-2004 (Ch. II, § 18, 2-18-01 of the 1991
Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
The purpose of this chapter is to regulate outdoor lighting on private
property in order to reduce or prevent light pollution; this means, to the
extent reasonably possible, the reduction or prevention of glare and light
trespass and the promotion of safety and security.
A.
No person or entity shall have, keep, maintain or cause
or permit to be kept or maintained any floodlight, spotlight, other reflector-type
light or lighting for illumination (hereinafter "lighting") on any property
in such a manner that its light is unnecessarily directed or reflected into
any residential building in the immediate vicinity of the property containing
the floodlight, spotlight, reflector-type lighting or lighting so as to constitute
a continuous annoyance, harassment or compromise of privacy (hereinafter "nuisance")
of the person(s) occupying such residential building.
B.
All exterior lighting shall be designed, located, installed
and directed in such a manner as to prevent objectionable lighting at and
glare across the property lines and glare at any location on or off the property
and particularly on residential properties in the vicinity. “Glare,”
as used herein, is defined as light emitting from a source with an intensity
great enough to reduce a viewer's ability to see, creates a potentially
hazardous situations or creates a nuisance.
C.
All exterior lighting shall be of such type and location
and shall have such shading or shielding as will prevent the source of light
from directly illuminating any adjacent property or road such as to cause
a nuisance or to compromise the ability of persons to safely enter upon or
travel over such roads.
D.
Security lights controlled by motion sensors should be
designed, located and remain on for as short a duration as necessary so as
to reduce creating a potentially hazardous situation or nuisance.
This chapter applies to lighting fixtures installed after the effective
date of this chapter and to those installed prior to it which are determined
to create a nuisance or potentially hazardous situation.
Violations of this chapter shall be abated by the property owner, lessor,
lessee or other person in possession of or responsible ("responsible individual")
for the property on which the lighting is located and, if not so done, may
be abated by the Town at the expense of any one or more of the responsible
individuals after the Town has furnished not less than 10 days' written notice
to abate such violation. The fine for failure to abate such violation within
seven days after such notice has been provided shall be $25 for such first
failure, $50 for failure to abate following a second such notice, and $10
per day for each day of such failure to abate thereafter. Such expenses and
fines and the Town's legal expenses may be collected by the Town in a
civil action against one or more of the above-named responsible individuals.
In the case of an emergency, the Town may abate such violation without giving
the 10 days' notice.
