The regulation of outdoor lighting is necessary
to prevent glare, light trespass (nuisance light) and/or sky glow
from misdirected or excessive artificial light emanating from inappropriate
or misdirected light fixtures and to discourage the waste of electricity
and to improve or maintain nighttime public safety, utility and security.
This article shall be applicable to all outdoor
lighting installations, including but not limited to schools, institutions,
industrial, commercial and residential properties, applications for
site plan and subdivision approval and one- and two-family dwellings.
All outdoor light fixtures installed and thereafter maintained in
the Township of Chester shall comply with the requirements specified
in this article.
The lighting plan shall be designed by a lighting
design professional, who shall certify that the lighting plan conforms
to these standards. The detailed lighting plan shall include:
A. Description of outdoor lamp/luminaire combinations,
including manufacturer's specifications, such as lamps, optics, angle
of cutoff, poles and include manufacturer's catalog cuts.
B. Locations and description of every outdoor enclosed
light fixture, their aiming angles and mounting heights.
C. Foundation details for pole-mounted lights.
D. Computer-generated photometric grid showing footcandle
readings every 25 feet and the average footcandles.
[Amended 7-21-2009 by Ord. No. 2009-10]
A. Outdoor
lighting fixtures for purposes of lighting field game areas, courts
or swimming pools shall be shielded from public view as observed from
outside of the playing field or in the case of residential uses as
observed from adjacent residential properties or adjoining public
streets. Such light shall have directional and glare control devices,
when necessary, to comply with this requirement. The maximum illumination
at any point on an adjoining residential property line shall not exceed
0.1 vertical footcandle or 0.2 vertical footcandle on a property zoned
for commercial or industrial use.
B. Pole-mounted
lighting fixtures used to illuminate outdoor recreational activities
may exceed 16 feet in height subject to the following regulations:
(1) The
mounting height of the light fixture shall not exceed 24 feet (base
plus pole) in height.
(2) All
fixtures used for such lighting shall be fully shielded with fifteen-degree
cutoff.
(3) When
the mounting height of the light fixture exceeds 16 feet, a landscaped
screen shall be installed along all property lines that are adjacent
to the recreational activity for the purpose of screening light glare
from adjoining residential uses.
(a) The required screen shall be comprised of evergreen and deciduous
plant material to form a year-round visual barrier. Evergreen trees
shall be a minimum of eight feet high, and deciduous trees shall have
a diameter of at least 2.5 inches at time of installation. The quantity
of natural screening existing on the property shall be taken into
consideration.
(b) A landscape plan shall be provided showing the location of each plant
and any existing trees that are to be retained as part of the screen.
Planting details and a detailed plant list which provides the common
and botanical name, quantity of each variety to be installed, size
at planting and root condition for all new plants.
(c) The landscape plan shall be subject to the approval of the Township
Planner or Engineer.
C. Outdoor recreation and sports lighting shall comply in all other respects with the applicable design standards set forth in §
113-401.
All light fixtures, except streetlighting maintained
by a governmental authority or that was part of an approved subdivision
or site plan, shall be designed, installed and maintained to prevent
light trespass, as specified below:
A. Facade lighting on schools, hospitals and other public
buildings or incident illumination occurring above a height of five
feet as measured at the property line of an adjacent residentially
zoned property shall not exceed 0.1 footcandle.
B. Outdoor light fixtures properly installed and thereafter
maintained shall be directed so that there will not be any direct
glare source visible from another property.
The use or installation of the following outdoor
light fixtures is prohibited:
A. Sodium vapor lights shall not be permitted.
B. Searchlights or flashing lights are prohibited.
C. Outdoor lighting fixtures for purposes of private,
commercial or industrial usage shall not be attached or mounted to
public property (i.e., public buildings, utility poles, telephone
poles, streetlights, road or street signs) or to any trees located
within a public road right-of-way.
D. No outdoor lighting fixtures for purposes of private,
commercial or industrial usage shall be erected within a public road
right-of-way unless approval is obtained from the Township Council.
The Planning Board may modify the above requirements
where there is sufficient evidence that such requirements are inadequate,
unnecessary or unreasonable.
No building permit shall be issued or certificate
of occupancy issued until all outdoor light fixtures installed and
thereafter maintained in the Township of Chester comply with the requirements
specified in this article.
A. Issuance of building permit. No building permit shall
be issued by the Construction Official for any proposed outdoor lighting
unless and until a lighting plan as required by this chapter has been
reviewed by the Township Engineer and has been found to be in accordance
with this chapter.
B. Certificate of occupancy. No certificate of occupancy shall be issued by the Construction Official unless and until proof has been submitted to him/her or her that all proposed outdoor lighting has been installed in compliance with an approved lighting plan or, in the case of one- and two-family dwellings, that the outdoor lighting conforms to §
113-401A of this chapter.
C. Violations. If the Zoning Official determines that
an outdoor light is in excess of the standards established by this
article, or that artificial light is emanating from inappropriate
or misdirected light fixtures not in compliance with the provisions
of this article, the Zoning Official shall give written notice by
certified mail to the owner or tenant that the outdoor light(s) be
returned to good repair, be made to comply or be removed within 20
calendar days of such notice. Noncompliance by the owner or tenant
upon whom the notice is served for any violation of the terms and
conditions of this article shall be subject to a fine not to exceed
$500 in accordance with procedures established by law.