[1]
Editor’s Note: This Part was enacted as Exhibit A of
Ord. 263, 9/17/2007, which provides, in pertinent part:
"Section 1: Title. This Ordinance is to be known as the “Wrightstown
Township Outdoor Lighting Ordinance”, and is attached hereto
as Exhibit “A” and incorporated herein by reference.
"Section 2. Purpose. To require and set minimum standards
for outdoor lighting in:
"A. Provide lighting in outdoor public places where public
health, safety and welfare are potential concerns;
"B. Protect drivers and pedestrians from the glare of nonvehicular
light sources that shine into their eyes and thereby impair safe traverse;
"C. Protect neighbors and the night sky from nuisance glare
and stray light from poorly aimed, place, applied, maintained or shielded
light sources.
"”Section 3. Interpretation. This Ordinance shall be
interpreted and applied as minimum requirements for the promotion
of the public health, safety, comfort, convenience and general welfare."
[Ord. 263, 9/17/2007]
1.
To require and set minimum standards for outdoor lighting to:
A.
Provide lighting in outdoor public places where public health, safety
and welfare are potential concerns.
B.
Protect drivers and pedestrians from the glare of nonvehicular light
sources that shine into their eyes and thereby impair safe traverse.
C.
Protect neighbors and the night sky from nuisance glare and stray
light from poorly aimed, placed, applied, maintained or shielded light
sources.
[Ord. 263, 9/17/2007]
1.
Outdoor lighting shall, at the discretion of the Board of Supervisors,
be required for safety and personal security in areas of public assembly
and traverse; including, but not limited to, single family and multi-family
dwelling unit developments, commercial, industrial, public recreational
and institutional uses.
2.
The Board of Supervisors may require lighting be incorporated for
other uses or locations, as they deem necessary.
3.
The glare control requirements herein contained apply to lighting
in all above mentioned uses as well as, but not limited to, sign,
architectural, landscaping and residential lighting.
4.
This Part does not apply to temporary holiday lighting for residential
uses; provided, they shall not be operated for more than 60 days.
[Ord. 263, 9/17/2007]
1.
Illumination Levels.
A.
Lighting, where required by this Part, shall have intensities and
uniformity ratios in accordance with the current recommended practices
of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) as
contained in the IESNA Lighting Handbook.
B.
Future amendments to the recommended practices of the IESNA shall
become a part of this Part without further action of the Township.
C.
Examples of intensities for typical outdoor applications, as extracted
from the 8th Edition of the Lighting Handbook, are presented below.
D.
See Table below:
|
Use/Task
|
Maintained Footcandles
|
Uniformity Avg: Min.
| ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
(1)
|
Streets, local residential
|
0.4 Avg.
|
6:1
| |
|
(2)
|
Streets, local commercial
|
0.9 Avg.
|
6:1
| |
|
(3)
|
Parking, residential, multi-family
| |||
|
Low vehicular/pedestrian activity
|
0.2 Min.
|
4:1
| ||
|
Medium vehicular/pedestrian activity
|
0.6 Min.
|
4:1
| ||
|
(4)
|
Parking, industrial/commercial/ institutional/municipal
| |||
|
High activity, e.g., regional shopping centers/fast food facilities,
major athletic/civic/cultural events.
|
0.9 Min.
|
4:1
| ||
|
Medium activity, e.g., community shopping centers, office parks,
hospitals, commuter lots, cultural/civic/recreational events
|
0.6 Min.
|
4:1
| ||
|
Low activity, e.g., neighborhood shopping, industrial employee
parking, schools, church parking.
|
0.2 Min.
|
4:1
| ||
|
(5)
|
Walkways and bikeways
|
0.5 Avg.
|
5:1
| |
|
(6)
|
Building entrances
|
5.0 Avg.
|
—
| |
|
Notes:
| ||||
|
1.
|
Illumination levels are maintained horizontal footcandles on
the task, e.g., pavement or area surface
| |||
|
2.
|
Uniformity ratios dictate that average illuminance values shall
not exceed minimum values by more than the product of the minimum
value and the specified ratio, e.g., for commercial parking high activity,
the average footcandles shall not be in excess of 3.6 (0.9 x 4).
| |||
2.
Lighting Fixture Design.
A.
Fixtures shall be of a type and design appropriate to the lighting
application and aesthetically acceptable to the Board of Supervisors.
B.
For lighting horizontal tasks such as roadways, pathways and parking
areas, fixtures shall meet IESNA cutoff criteria (not have more than
2.5% of their light output emitted above 90° at any lateral angle
around the fixture).
C.
The use of floodlighting, spotlighting, wall-mounted fixtures, decorative
globes and other fixtures not meeting IESNA cutoff criteria shall
be permitted only with the approval of the Board of Supervisors, based
upon acceptable glare control.
D.
Fixtures shall be equipped with or be capable of being back-fitted
with light directing devices such as shields, visors or hoods when
necessary to redirect offending light distribution.
3.
Control of Nuisance and Disabling Glare.
A.
All outdoor lighting, whether or not required by this Part, on private,
residential, commercial, industrial, municipal, recreational or institutional
property, shall be aimed, located, designed, fitted and maintained
so as not to present a hazard to drivers or pedestrians by impairing
their ability to safely traverse, i.e., disabling glare, and so as
not to create a nuisance by projecting or reflecting objectionable
light onto a neighboring use or property, i.e., nuisance glare.
B.
Directional fixtures such as floodlights, spotlights and sign lights
shall be so installed or aimed so that they do not project their output
into the windows of neighboring residences, adjacent uses, directly
skyward or onto a roadway.
C.
Unless otherwise permitted by the Board of Supervisors, e.g., for
safety or security, lighting shall be controlled by automatic switching
devices such as time clocks or combination motion detectors and photocells,
to permit extinguishing offending sources between 11:00 p.m. and dawn,
to mitigate nuisance glare and sky lighting consequences.
D.
Where all-night safety or security lighting is to be provided, the
lighting intensity levels shall not exceed 25% of the levels normally
permitted by this Part for the use, but in no case shall they be less
than the minimum levels for safety or security as invoked by IESNA.
E.
Vegetation screens shall not be employed to serve as the primary
means for controlling glare. Rather, glare control shall be achieved
primarily through the use of such means as cutoff fixtures, shields
and baffles, and appropriate application of fixture mounting height,
wattage, aiming angle and fixture placement.
F.
The intensity of illumination projected onto a residential use from
another property shall not exceed 0.1 vertical footcandle, measured
at 30 inches above the ground at the property line.
G.
Externally illuminated signs and billboards shall be lighted by fixtures
mounted at the top of the sign and aimed downward. Such fixtures shall
be automatically extinguished between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and
dawn.
H.
Fixtures meeting IESNA cutoff criteria shall not be mounted in excess
of 20 feet above finished grade. Fixtures not meeting IESNA cutoff
criteria shall not be mounted in excess of 16 feet above grade except
as specifically approved by the Board of Supervisors.
I.
Fixtures used for general area lighting shall be aimed so as to project
their output straight down, unless approved otherwise.
J.
Fixtures used for architectural lighting, e.g., facade, fountain,
feature and landscape lighting, shall be aimed so as not to project
their output beyond the objects intended to be illuminated and shall
be extinguished between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and dawn.
K.
With the exception of temporary holiday lighting no lighting fixture
shall have any blinking, flashing or fluttering lights or other illuminating
device which has a changing light intensity, brightness or color nor
is any beacon permitted, except those required for fire alarm and/or
emergency systems.
L.
Under-canopy lighting for such applications as gas/service stations,
hotel/theater marquees, fast-food/bank/drugstore drive-ups, shall
be accomplished using flat-lens full-cutoff fixtures aimed straight
down and shielded in such a manner that the lowest opaque edge of
the fixture shall be below the light source at all lateral angles.
The average illumination in the area directly below the canopy shall
not exceed 20 initial footcandles and the maximum shall not exceed
30 initial footcandles.
4.
Installation.
5.
Maintenance. Lighting fixtures and ancillary equipment shall be maintained
so as to always meet the requirements of this Part and all Township
ordinances and building codes.
[Ord. 263, 9/17/2007]
1.
Street lighting fixtures in residential developments shall, at the
discretion of the Board of Supervisors, be placed at the following
locations:
[Ord. 263, 9/17/2007]
1.
The nighttime illumination of outdoor recreational facilities for
such aerial sports as outdoor riding arenas, baseball, basketball,
soccer, tennis, track and field, and football typically necessitate
higher than normally allowed fixture mounting heights and aiming angles,
utilize very high-wattage lamps and potentially produce unacceptable
levels of light trespass and glare when located near residential properties.
Permission to illuminate such facilities shall be granted only when
the Township is satisfied that the health, safety and welfare rights
of nearby property owners and the Township as a whole have been properly
protected. When recreational uses are specifically permitted by the
Township for operation during hours of darkness, the following requirements
shall apply:
A.
Lighting shall be accomplished through the use of fixtures conforming
to IESNA full-cutoff criteria. The Township may consider the use of
other than full-cutoff fixtures only when it can be demonstrated to
the satisfaction of the Township that acceptable control of glare
and light trespass can be achieved, taking into account the proximity
of the facility to adjacent properties that could be adversely impacted.
B.
Race tracks and such recreational venues as golf driving ranges,
trapshooting facilities and outdoor riding arenas that necessitate
the horizontal, or near horizontal projection of illumination, shall
not be permitted to be artificially illuminated.
C.
Recreational facilities for basketball, baseball, football, soccer,
miniature golf, tennis or track shall not be illuminated if located
within a residential district or sited on a nonresidential property
located within 1,000 feet of a property containing a residential use.
D.
Sporting events shall be timed to end at such time that all lighting
in the sports facility, other than lighting for safe exit of patrons,
shall be extinguished by 10:00 p.m., regardless of such occurrences
as extra innings or overtimes.
E.
Maximum mounting heights for recreational lighting shall be in accordance
with the following:
F.
To assist in determining whether lighting will be permitted, applications
for illuminating recreational facilities shall be accompanied not
only with the information required in this section below, but also
by a visual impact plan that contains the following:
(1)
Plan views containing a layout of the recreational facility
and showing pole locations and the location of residences on adjoining
properties.
(2)
Elevations containing pole and fixture mounting heights, horizontal
and vertical aiming angles and fixture arrays for each pole location.
(3)
Elevations containing initial vertical illuminance plots at
the boundary of the site, taken at a height of five-foot line-of-sight.
(4)
Elevations containing initial vertical illuminance plots on
the windowed facades of all residences facing and adjacent to the
recreational facility. Such plots shall demonstrate compliance with
the light trespass and glare control requirements of this Part.
(5)
Proposed frequency of use of the facility during hours of darkness
on a month-by-month basis and proposed time when the sports lighting
will be extinguished.
(6)
A narrative describing the measures proposed to achieve minimum
off-site disturbance.
[Ord. 263, 9/17/2007]
1.
Lighting plans shall be submitted to the Township for review and
approval and shall include:
A.
Layout of the proposed fixture locations.
B.
Iso-footcandle plots of individual fixture installations and 10 by
10 illuminance-grid plots for multi-fixture installations that demonstrate
compliance with the intensities and uniformities set forth in this
Part.
C.
Description of the equipment, including fixture catalog cuts, photometrics,
glare reduction devices, lamps, control devices, mounting heights
and mounting methods proposed.
2.
All proposed development plans shall, at the time of preliminary
plan submittal, include lighting plans indicating proposed placement
of all lighting fixtures incorporated with the above referenced specifications.
The lighting plans shall also provide an engineering detail of fixtures,
manufacturer, model, and installation of same.
3.
When requested by the Board of Supervisors, applicant shall submit
a visual impact plan that demonstrates appropriate steps have been
taken to mitigate on-site and off-site glare.
4.
Post-approval alterations to lighting plans or intended substitutions
for approved lighting equipment shall be submitted to the Township
for review and approval.
[Ord. 263, 9/17/2007]
The Township reserves the right to conduct a post-installation
nighttime inspection to verify compliance with the requirements of
this Part and if, appropriate, to require remedial action at no expense
to the Township.
[Ord. 263, 9/17/2007]
1.
Safety Hazards.
A.
If the Township judges a lighting installation creates a safety or
personal security hazard, the person(s) responsible for the lighting
shall be notified and required to take remedial action.
B.
If appropriate corrective action has not been effected within 30
days of notification, the Township may levy a fine for as long as
the hazard continues to exist.
2.
Nuisance Glare and Inadequate Illumination Levels.
A.
When the Township judges an installation produces unacceptable levels
of nuisance glare, skyward light, excessive or insufficient illumination
levels or otherwise varies from this Part, Township may cause notification
of the person(s) responsible for the lighting and require appropriate
remedial action.
B.
If the infraction so warrants, Township may act to have the problem
corrected as in Subsection 1B above.
[Ord. 263, 9/17/2007]
1.
Any lighting fixture or lighting installation existing on the effective
date of this Part that does not conform with the requirements of this
Part shall be considered as a lawful nonconformance subject to the
following:
[Ord. 263, 9/17/2007]
1.
When street lighting is to be dedicated to the Township, applicant
shall be responsible for all costs involved in the lighting of streets
and street intersections until the street in accepted for dedication.
2.
Prior to dedication and in the event of the formation of a homeowners
association and/or property management declaration, Township shall
require said agency to enter into an agreement guaranteeing the Township
payment of all costs associated with dedicated street lighting.
3.
Assumption of Costs of Dedicated Street Lighting.
A.
Upon dedication of public streets, the Township shall assess the
homeowners association, individual property owners, or corporations,
as may be necessary, to collect all revenues required that are directly
or indirectly associated with all costs of each specific street lighting
fixture. These costs shall include:
4.
Streetlights not dedicated to the Township will remain the responsibility
of the developer or appropriate private entity to which the lights
are turned over. Said private entity shall then assume all cost and
responsibilities for the lighting in perpetuity.
[Ord. 263, 9/17/2007]
The provisions of this Part shall be enforced by Wrightstown
Township. Any person, firm, or corporation who shall violate any provision
of this Part, upon conviction thereof in an action brought before
a magisterial district judge in the manner provided for the enforcement
of summary offenses under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure,
shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than $35 nor more than
$1,000 plus costs and, in default of payment of said fine and costs,
to a term of imprisonment not to exceed 90 days. Each day that a violation
of this Part continues or each section of this Part which shall be
found to have been violated shall constitute a separate offense.
