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 Joshua as applicable
and under appropriate permit and inspection. These lighting standards
shall apply to all non-residential uses in the City of Joshua. Unless
otherwise stated, this ordinance does not regulate lighting in public
road rights-of way.
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The general purpose of lighting requirements is to:
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A.
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Reduce the problems created by improperly designed and installed
outdoor lighting.
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B.
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Eliminate problems of glare on operators of motor vehicles,
pedestrians and land uses.
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C.
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Minimize light trespass.
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D.
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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.
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E.
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Preserve the sky as a natural resource and thus the public’s
enjoyment.
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10.1.1
PHOTOMETRIC
PLAN.
A Photometric Plan may be submitted with a site
plan or landscape plan on all public or private properties, including
rights-of-ways, public easements, franchises and utility easements
for approval by the Zoning Administrator. A Photometric Plan shall
be submitted prior to issuing a building permit. Plans shall include
the following:
10.1.2
GENERAL.
A.
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.
B.
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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C.
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 non-residential
property line, unless said non-residential property is of a similar
use and utilizes similar lighting parameters.
D.
Halogen
lights are prohibited.
E.
Shielding
shall be required in all outdoor lighting installations as specified
below.
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Lamp Type
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Shielding
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Low Pressure Sodium (LPS)
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Fully Shielded, with 80° cut-off
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High Pressure Sodium (HPS)
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Fully Shielded, with 80° cut-off
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Metal Halide
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Fully Shielded, with 80° cut-off
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Halogen
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Prohibited
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Mercury Vapor
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Prohibited
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Fluorescent
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Fully Shielded, with 80° cut-off
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Incandescent
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Fully Shielded, with 80° cut-off
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Any light source 50 watts and under
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Unshielded Permitted as long as source not visible to adjacent
residential
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Low intensity Neon, Krypton or Argon Discharge Tubes
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Unshielded Permitted as long as source not visible to adjacent
residential
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Light Emitting Diodes (LED)
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Unshielded Permitted as long as source not visible to adjacent
residential
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10.1.3
ILLUMINATION.
A.
Measurement:
Illumination levels of outdoor lighting shall be measured by
a qualified professional according to generally accepted IESNA methods.
B.
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, natural and manmade objects.
C.
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:
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Footcandles
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Land Use Type
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Horizontal
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Single-family and two-family residential districts.
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0.25
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Non-residential districts
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2.25
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10.1.4
NON-RESIDENTIAL
ILLUMINATION.
A.
All non-essential
lighting shall be turned off after business hours, leaving only necessary
lighting for site security.
B.
Floodlights,
accent, aesthetic and security lights must be fully shielded and no
up lighting shall be permitted except that lighting of fifty (50)
watts or less are excepted if necessary for security purposes.
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C.
Parking
lots and vehicle movement areas and signs shall not exceed a maximum
illumination value of forty (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 thirty (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. Building facades and architectural features
of buildings may use sconces when the following conditions are met:
D.
Floodlight
fixtures are equipped with shields and are located so as to limit
the fixture’s direct light distribution solely to the building
façade or feature being illuminated;
E.
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;
F.
Fixtures
used to accent architectural features, landscaping or art shall be
located, aimed or shielded to minimize light spill into the night
sky, and;
G.
The maximum
luminance of any floodlighted surface does not exceed the footcandles
specified in the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America
Lighting Handbook for floodlighting surfaces.
H.
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.
I.
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.
J.
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 and glare.
10.1.5
PUBLIC
AND SEMI-PUBLIC RECREATIONAL FACILITIES.
A.
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:
B.
All fixtures
used for event lighting shall be fully shielded, or be designed or
provided with sharp cut-off capability, so as to minimize up-light,
spill-light, and glare.
C.
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.
10.1.6
PROHIBITED.
Unless otherwise authorized, the following shall be prohibited.
10.1.7
EXEMPTIONS.
The following are exempt from the outdoor lighting requirements
of this Ordinance:
A.
All temporary
emergency lighting needed by the Police or Fire Departments or other
emergency services, as well as all vehicular luminaries used by the
Police or Fire Departments.
B.
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.
C.
Up lighting
of the City of Joshua, State of Texas, or United States of America
flag.
D.
Seasonal
decorative lighting.
10.1.8
TEMPORARY
EXEMPTIONS.
A.
Upon approval
by the Administrative Official, temporary exemptions from the requirements
of this ordinance for a period not to exceed thirty (30) days may
be approved.
B.
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:
1.
Specific
exemption (s) requested
2.
Type/use
of outdoor lighting fixture involved
3.
Duration
of time requested
4.
Type
of lamp and calculated footcandles
5.
Total
wattage of lamp(s)
6.
Proposed
location of fixtures
7.
Previous
temporary exemption requests
8.
Physical
side of fixtures and type of shielding provided
9.
Such
other data or information as may be required by the Administrative
Official.
C.
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 Zoning Board of Adjustment.
D.
Approval
for temporary exemptions will be based on the effect of location and
use of outdoor lighting fixture.
10.1.9
NON-CONFORMING
LIGHTING.
All luminaries lawfully in place prior to the
date of the ordinance shall be considered as having legal non-conforming
status. However, any luminary that replaces a legal non-conforming
luminary, or any legal non-conforming luminary that is removed or
relocated, must meet the standards of this Ordinance.
(Ordinance 782-2020 adopted 6/18/20)
