City of Joshua, TX Outdoor Lighting Requirements

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.

The general purpose of lighting requirements is to:
A.	Reduce the problems created by improperly designed and installed outdoor lighting.
B.	Eliminate problems of glare on operators of motor vehicles, pedestrians and land uses.
C.	Minimize light trespass.
D.	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.
E.	Preserve the sky as a natural resource and thus the public’s enjoyment.

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:

A layout of the proposed fixture locations.

The light source.

The luminous area for each proposed light source with proposed footcandle measurements.

The type and height of the light fixture or of the light source above grade.

The type of illumination.

10.1.2

GENERAL.

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.

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.

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.

Halogen lights are prohibited.

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	Prohibited
Fluorescent	Fully Shielded, with 80° cut-off
Incandescent	Fully Shielded, with 80° cut-off
Any light source 50 watts and under	Unshielded Permitted as long as source not visible to adjacent residential
Low intensity Neon, Krypton or Argon Discharge Tubes	Unshielded Permitted as long as source not visible to adjacent residential
Light Emitting Diodes (LED)	Unshielded Permitted as long as source not visible to adjacent residential

10.1.3

ILLUMINATION.

Measurement:

Illumination levels of outdoor lighting shall be measured by a qualified professional according to generally accepted IESNA methods.

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.

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
Non-residential districts	2.25

10.1.4

NON-RESIDENTIAL ILLUMINATION.

All non-essential lighting shall be turned off after business hours, leaving only necessary lighting for site security.

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.

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:

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;

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;

Fixtures used to accent architectural features, landscaping or art shall be located, aimed or shielded to minimize light spill into the night sky, and;

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

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.

The use of laser source light or any similar high intensity light for outdoor advertising or entertainment, when projected above the horizontal, is prohibited.

The operation of searchlights for advertising purposes is prohibited.

Halogen and Mercury Vapor Lights are prohibited.

10.1.7

EXEMPTIONS.

The following are exempt from the outdoor lighting requirements of this Ordinance:

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.

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.

Up lighting of the City of Joshua, State of Texas, or United States of America flag.

Seasonal decorative lighting.

10.1.8

TEMPORARY EXEMPTIONS.

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.

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:

Specific exemption (s) requested

Type/use of outdoor lighting fixture involved

Duration of time requested

Type of lamp and calculated footcandles

Total wattage of lamp(s)

Proposed location of fixtures

Previous temporary exemption requests

Physical side of fixtures and type of shielding provided

Such other data or information as may be required by the Administrative Official.

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.

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)