This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Union Township
Outdoor Lighting Ordinance."
This chapter is enacted for the following purposes:
A. To establish requirements for outdoor lighting installations which
promote public safety and welfare during the nighttime while minimizing
the adverse effects of glare and light trespass often associated with
outdoor lighting.
B. To protect the privacy of property owners by limiting the potential
for glare and light trespass from outdoor lighting installations located
on adjacent properties and roadways.
C. To prohibit outdoor lighting installations which are of excessive
intensity and/or are deficient of photometric control such that the
resulting glare and light trespass create a nuisance to pedestrians,
cyclists or motorists on neighboring properties and roadways.
D. To promote outdoor lighting installations which serve to enhance
the nighttime safety and enjoyment of pedestrians, cyclists and motorists
throughout the community.
E. To set forth outdoor lighting requirements which are consistent with
lighting industry standards and practices, available technologies
and the lighting sciences.
The requirements of this chapter shall apply to all outdoor
lighting installations, as follows:
A. Outdoor lighting installations which are newly designed, constructed,
erected or otherwise placed into operation after the effective date
of this chapter.
B. Alterations, rehabilitations or renovations to existing outdoor lighting
installations which are commenced after the effective date of this
chapter, and which involve the complete replacement of an existing
lighting system with a new lighting system.
The requirements of this chapter shall not apply to, nor be
retroactive to, existing outdoor lighting installations which began
operation before the effective date of this chapter. Routine maintenance
of said existing outdoor lighting installations shall not be required
to comply with the requirements of this chapter. Routine maintenance
activities include the following:
A. Replacement of lamps that are burned out or inoperative.
B. Replacement/repair of damaged or inoperative luminaire components
such as ballasts, igniters, lenses, reflectors, refractors, sockets
or photocell controls.
The requirements of this chapter shall not apply where superseded
by county, state or federal law.
An applicant may request Union Township to grant a modification
of the requirements of one or more provisions of this chapter if the
literal enforcement will exact undue hardship because of peculiar
conditions to the land in question, provided that such modification
will not be contrary to the public interest and that the purpose of
the intent of this chapter is observed. All requests for modification
shall be in writing and shall accompany and be part of the application
for development. The request shall state, in full, the grounds and
facts of unreasonableness or hardship on which the request is based,
the provision or provisions of this chapter for which the modification
is requested and a description of the minimum modification necessary.