10.1.A
Applicability
All outdoor electrically powered illuminating devices shall
be installed in conformance with the provisions of this section, the
Building Code and the Electrical Code of the City of Granbury as applicable
and under appropriate permit and inspection. These lighting standards
shall apply to all nonresidential uses in the City of Granbury. Unless
otherwise stated, this ordinance does not regulate lighting in public
road rights-of-way.
The general purpose of lighting requirements is to:
1.
Reduce
the problems created by improperly designed and installed outdoor
lighting.
2.
Eliminate
problems of glare on operators of motor vehicles, pedestrians and
land uses.
3.
Minimize
light trespass.
4.
Reduce
the energy and financial costs of outdoor lighting by establishing
regulations, which limit the area that certain kinds of outdoor lighting
fixtures can illuminate.
5.
Preserve
the sky as a natural resource and thus the public’s enjoyment.
10.1.B
Outdoor Lighting Plan
An Outdoor Lighting Plan must be submitted separately from any
required site plan or landscape plan on all public or private properties,
including rights-of-way, public easements, franchises and utility
easements for approval by the Chief Building Official. An Outdoor
Lighting Plan shall be submitted prior to issuing a building permit.
Plans shall include the following:
10.1.C
General
1.
Unless
otherwise provided herein, illumination, where required by this ordinance,
shall have intensities and uniformity ratios in accordance with the
current recommended practices of the Illuminating Engineering Society
of North America (IESNA) as from time to time amended.
2.
Unless
otherwise provided herein, all building lighting for security or aesthetics
will be fully-shielded type, not allowing any upward distribution
of light. Wall pack type fixtures are acceptable only if they are
fully-shielded with 80° cut-off.
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3.
No
use or operation in any district shall be located or conducted so
as to produce glare, or either direct or indirect illumination across
the bounding property line from a source of illumination into a residentially
zoned property, nor shall any such light be of such intensity as to
create a nuisance or detract from the use and enjoyment of adjacent
property. For the purposes of this section, a nuisance shall be defined
as more than one tenth (0.1) of one footcandle of light measured at
the residential property line or twenty-five hundredths (0.25) of
one footcandle of light measured at any adjoining nonresidential property
line, unless said nonresidential property is of a similar use and
utilizes similar lighting parameters.
4.
Halogen
lights are prohibited.
5.
Shielding
shall be required in all outdoor lighting installations as specified
below.
|
Lamp Type
|
Shielding
|
|---|---|
|
Low Pressure Sodium (LPS)
|
Fully Shielded, with 80° cut-off
|
|
High Pressure Sodium (HPS)
|
Fully Shielded, with 80° cut-off
|
|
Metal Halide
|
Fully Shielded, with 80° cut-off
|
|
Halogen
|
Prohibited
|
|
Mercury Vapor
|
Fully Shielded, with 80° cut-off
|
|
Fluorescent
|
Fully Shielded, with 80° cut-off
|
|
Incandescent
|
Fully Shielded, with 80° cut-off
|
|
Any light source 50 watts and under
|
Unshielded Permitted
|
|
Low intensity Neon, Krypton or Argon Discharge Tubes
|
Unshielded Permitted
|
10.1.D
Illumination
1.
Measurement:
Illumination levels of outdoor lighting shall be measured by
a qualified professional according to generally accepted IESNA methods.
2.
Computation
of Illumination:
Illumination at a point may be computed
in lieu of measurement. Computation methods shall consist of a generally
accepted IESNA method, using certified photometric data furnished
by the fixture manufacturer, lamp manufacturer, photometric laboratory,
or other reliable authority satisfactory to the city. Computations
shall be based on new, properly seasoned lamps, diffusers and other
appurtenances in place, and with proper regard taken for mounting
height, relative elevation, [and] natural and man-made objects.
3.
Limitations
on neighboring property:
The limit of illumination on
neighboring property from one (1) establishment shall be by zoning
of the neighboring property. Maximum computed or measured footcandles
at the neighboring property line shall not exceed:
|
Footcandles
| |
|---|---|
|
Land Use Type
|
Horizontal
|
|
Single-family and two-family residential districts
|
0.25
|
|
Nonresidential districts
|
2.25
|
10.1.E
Nonresidential Illumination
1.
All
non-essential lighting shall be turned off after business hours, leaving
only necessary lighting for site security.
2.
Floodlights,
accent, aesthetic and security lights must be fully shielded and no
uplighting shall be permitted except that lighting of 50 watts or
less are excepted if necessary for security purposes.
 |
3.
Parking
lots and vehicle movement areas and signs shall not exceed a maximum
illumination value of 40 footcandles nor a minimum illumination value
of 1.0 footcandles. Lamps in decorative lantern type fixtures shall
not exceed a maximum of 150 watts. Total pole and fixture height shall
not exceed a maximum of 30 feet, measured from grade at the base.
The light head or light under canopies shall be designed so that any
light filament or bulb is shielded or recessed to prevent direct glare
and/or light trespass. No exposed lamp, filament or bulb shall be
detectable from outside of the 80-degree cutoff area or from the adjoining
property lines. Taller poles may be considered in some situations
upon approval of a Special Exception by the Zoning Board of Adjustments.
4.
Building
facades and architectural features of buildings may use sconces when
the following conditions are met:
5.
Floodlight
fixtures are equipped with shields and are located so as to limit
the fixture’s direct light distribution solely to the building
facade or feature being illuminated;
6.
The
configuration of the floodlight installation shall block all view
to the floodlight fixture’s recessed lamp, bulb or filament
from pedestrian walkways, vehicle maneuvering areas and all adjacent
properties;
7.
Fixtures
used to accent architectural features, landscaping or art shall be
located, aimed or shielded to minimize light spill into the night
sky, and;
8.
The
maximum luminance of any floodlighted surface does not exceed the
footcandles specified in Section 10.1.C of the Ordinance and the Illuminating
Engineering Society of North America Lighting Handbook for floodlighting
surfaces.
9.
Limitations
on establishment property. The maximum outdoor initial computed or
measured illuminant level on the establishment property shall not
exceed forty (40) footcandles outdoors at any point, except that lighting
under canopies (such as service stations) shall not exceed sixty (60)
footcandles.
10.
Illumination
levels exceeding the maximum permitted must receive prior approval
by the Zoning Board of Adjustment through a Special Exception.
11.
Externally
illuminated signs, advertising displays, building identification and
monument signs that use top-mounted light fixtures shall shine light
downward and will be fully shielded or shine upward with pinpointed
light which are also fully shielded.
12.
Outdoor
light fixtures used to illuminate flags, statues, or any other objects
mounted on a pole, pedestal, or platform shall use a very narrow cone
of light for the purpose of confining the light to the object of interest
and minimize light-spillover an [and] glare.
10.1.F
Public and Semi-Public Recreational Facilities
1.
Any
light source permitted by this section may be used for lighting of
outdoor recreational facilities (public or private), such as, but
not limited to, football fields, soccer fields, baseball fields, softball
fields, tennis courts, or show areas, provided all of the following
conditions are met:
2.
Any
illumination level exceeding a maximum of forty (40) footcandles must
receive prior approval by the Zoning Board of Adjustments through
a Special Exception.
3.
All
fixtures used for event lighting shall be fully shielded, or be designed
or provided with sharp cut-off capability, so as to minimize uplight,
spill-light, and glare.
4.
All
events shall be scheduled so as to complete all activity before or
as near to 10:30 p.m. as practical, but under no circumstances shall
any illumination of the playing field, court, or track be permitted
after 11:00 p.m. except to conclude a scheduled event that was in
progress before 11:00 p.m. and circumstances prevented concluding
before 11:00 p.m.
10.1.G
Prohibited
Unless otherwise authorized, the following shall be prohibited
except upon prior approval of a Special Exception by the Zoning Board
of Adjustments.
10.1.H
Exemptions
The following are exempt from the outdoor lighting requirements
of this ordinance:
1.
All
temporary emergency lighting needed by the Police or Fire Departments
or other emergency services, as well as all vehicular luminaries.
2.
All
hazard warning luminaries required by Federal regulatory agencies
except that all luminaries used must be red and must be shown to be
as close as possible to the Federally required minimum lumen output
requirement for the specific task.
3.
Uplighting
of the City of Granbury, State of Texas, or United States of American
flag.
4.
Seasonal
decorative lighting.
10.1.I
Temporary Exemptions
1.
Upon
approval by the Chief Building Official, temporary exemptions from
the requirements of this ordinance for a period not to exceed 30 days
may be approved.
2.
Any
person may submit a written request, on a form prepared by the City
for a temporary exemption request. The request shall contain the following
information:
a.
Specific
exemption(s) requested
b.
Type/use
of outdoor lighting fixture involved
c.
Duration
of time requested
d.
Type
of lamp and calculated footcandles
e.
Total
wattage of lamp(s)
f.
Proposed
location of fixtures
g.
Previous
temporary exemption requests
h.
Physical
side [site] of fixtures and type of shielding provided
i.
Such
other data or information as may be required by the Chief Building
Official.
3.
Requests
for renewal of exemptions shall be processed in the same way as the
original request. Each renewal shall be valid for not more than fourteen
(14) days or a time period designated by the Board.
4.
Approval
for temporary exemptions will be based on the effect of location and
use of outdoor lighting fixture.
10.1.J
Nonconforming Lighting
All luminaries lawfully in place prior to the date of the ordinance
shall be considered as having legal nonconforming status. However,
any luminary that replaces a legal nonconforming luminary, or any
legal nonconforming luminary that is moved, must meet the standards
of this ordinance.
(Ordinance 16-65 adopted 12/6/16; Ordinance 17-41, ex. A, adopted 7/18/17; Ordinance 17-42, ex. A, adopted 7/18/17; Ordinance 17-70, ex. A, adopted 10/2/17; Ordinance 19-63 adopted 9/3/19)
