The purpose of this division is to:
•
Reduce the problems created by improperly designed and installed outdoor lighting.
•
Eliminate problems of glare on operators of motor vehicles, pedestrians and land uses.
•
Minimize light trespass.
•
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.
•
Preserve the night sky as a natural resource and thus people's enjoyment of looking at the sky and stars.
A. 
The following standards shall apply to all exterior lighting except public street lighting and other lighting that is specifically exempted by this division.
1. 
Light sources or luminaries are prohibited in buffer areas and within required setback yard areas except on pedestrian walkways and hike and bike trails.
2. 
Light for outdoor advertising shall be designed to function as full cutoff type of luminary(s). Lighting intended for outdoor advertising shall be directed downward. The temporary use of lasers and spotlights that project light into the sky may be allowed subject to the restrictions of temporary outdoor lighting in § 4.6.3 below.
3. 
All luminaries located on non-residential use properties shall be designed so that the light source (bulb or lamp) is completely shielded from direct view of at a point three feet above grade on the lot line abutting a protected residential property. In all other instances, the light source must be completely shielded from direct view of at a point five feet above grade on the lot line.
4. 
All luminaries located on private property shall be designed or positioned so that the maximum illumination at the property line next to protected residential property shall not exceed ¼ foot-candle and shall not exceed ½ foot-candle adjacent to a street right-of-way.
5. 
All luminaries and light sources subject to this division shall be maintained and kept in good working order.
6. 
Lighting for canopies covering fueling stations at automobile service stations and drive-thru facilities shall not illuminate abutting properties and the luminaries shall be designed so that the light source (bulb or lamp) is completely shielded from direct view at a point five feet above the grade on the lot line.
7. 
Wall or roof lighting may be used to illuminate the pedestrian walkways, entrance areas, and yard areas within 30 feet of the building. No wall or roof lighting shall be used to illuminate areas for motor vehicle parking or access unless the Building Official finds the following:
(i) 
That the proposed lighting is not in conflict with the stated purpose;
(ii) 
That the proposed lighting will not unreasonably harm or restrict public health, safety and welfare or create a nuisance; and
(iii) 
The proposed lighting will not result in an impairment of vision creating a hazard for vehicular or pedestrian traffic.
8. 
Any open area used for motor vehicle parking, storage or access shall be illuminated with freestanding luminaries. Freestanding luminaries are permitted to be a maximum of 30 feet in height. When a luminary is located within 100 feet of protected residential property, the maximum permitted luminaries' height shall be 20 feet. All luminaries must have a total cutoff angle equal to or less than 90 degrees. The use of exterior lighting with a cutoff angle greater than 90 degrees shall be permitted only when the Building Official find the following:
(i) 
That the proposed lighting is not in conflict with the stated purpose;
(ii) 
That the proposed lighting will not unreasonably harm or restrict public health, safety and welfare or create a nuisance; and
(iii) 
The proposed lighting will not result in an impairment of vision creating a hazard for vehicular or pedestrian traffic.
9. 
Externally illuminated signs, advertising displays, billboards, building identification, and monument signs shall use top mounted light fixtures which shine light downward and which are fully shielded or upward with pin-pointed light which are fully shielded.
10. 
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 spill-light and glare.
11. 
Building facades and architectural features of buildings may be floodlighted when the following conditions are met:
(i) 
Floodlight fixtures are equipped with shields and are located so as to limit the fixture's direct light distribution to the façade or feature being illuminated;
(ii) 
The configuration of the floodlight installation shall block all view to the floodlight fixture's lamp from adjacent properties; and
(iii) 
The maximum luminance of any floodlighted surface does not exceed the foot-candles specified in the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America Lighting Handbook for floodlighting surfaces.
A. 
Any temporary outdoor lighting that conforms to the requirements of this division shall be allowed. Nonconforming temporary outdoor lighting may be permitted by the Planning and Zoning Commission after considering:
1. 
The nature of the exemption;
2. 
The public and/or private benefits that would result from the temporary lighting;
3. 
Placement and height of outdoor light fixtures;
4. 
Type of outdoor light fixture to be used, including total lumen output and character of shielding, if any;
5. 
Any annoyance or safety problems that may result from the use of the temporary lighting;
6. 
The duration of the temporary nonconforming lighting and time that lights will be operating; and
7. 
Such other data and information as may be required by the Building Official and/or Planning and Zoning Commission to clarify the request.
B. 
The applicant shall submit a detailed description of the proposed temporary nonconforming lighting to the Building Inspections Department who shall prepare and forward a report to the Planning and Zoning Commission for its consideration.
The illumination levels contained in the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America Lighting Handbook, as amended from time to time, shall be used as a guide for providing adequate and safe illumination levels. The Planning and Zoning Commission may require conformance with the illumination levels contained in the Lighting Handbook, Illuminating Engineering Society of North America as part of the review and approval of a private and/or public development project.
The light measuring meter shall have a color and cosine-corrected sensor with multiple scales and shall read within an accuracy of plus or minus five percent. It should have been tested, calibrated, and certified by an independent commercial photometric laboratory or the manufacturer within one year of its use.
Illumination levels shall be measured in foot-candles with a meter sensor in a horizontal position at an approximate height of three feet above grade. Maximum illumination readings are to be taken directly beneath the luminaries. Readings should be taken after a cumulative initial lamp burn for a period of at least 200 hours.
A. 
A lighting plan shall be required anytime exterior lighting is proposed, or modified, that is associated with a use of greater intensity than a single family detached or duplex dwelling. The lighting plan shall be submitted to the Building Inspections Department. The submission shall contain, but not be limited to the following:
1. 
plans indicating the location of the exterior lighting on the premises, and the type of illuminating devices, fixtures, lamps, supports, reflectors, and other devices;
2. 
description of the illuminating devices, fixtures, lamps, supports, reflectors, and other devices and the description may include, but is not limited to, catalog cuts by manufacturers and drawings (including sections where required) and height of the luminaries; and
3. 
photometric plan and data sheets, such as that furnished by manufacturers, or similar to that furnished by manufacturers, showing the angle of cut off or light emissions.
B. 
A certified engineer, architect, landscape architect, or lighting engineer or designer shall prepare the plan. The plan shall also contain a certification by the property owner or agent and the preparer of the plan that the exterior lighting depicted on the plan complies with the requirements of this ordinance after installation. Once the plan is approved by Building Inspections, the exterior lighting of the property shall conform to the approved plan.
C. 
Additional submission.
The above required plans, descriptions and data shall be sufficiently complete to enable the reviewer to readily determine whether compliance with the requirements of this division will be secured. If such plans, descriptions and data cannot enable this ready determination, by reason of the nature or configuration or the devices, fixtures, or lamps proposed, the applicant shall additionally submit as evidence of compliance to enable such determination such certified reports of tests as will do so provided that these tests shall have been performed and certified by a recognized testing laboratory.
Before issuance of a certificate of occupancy, the applicant or his/her designee shall submit to building inspections a photometric plan, stamped by a certified testing laboratory or engineering firm that the installed lighting is in compliance with this division.
D. 
Lamp or fixture substitution.
Should any outdoor light fixture or the type of light source therein be changed after the issuance of the building permit and/or certificate of occupancy, a change request with adequate information, as required in § 4.6.6(A) above, to assure compliance with this division must be submitted to the Building Official for review and approval prior to the substitution.
The following are prohibited by this division:
A. 
"Cobra head" type lighting fixtures having dished or "drop" lenses or refractors which house other than incandescent light sources.
B. 
Flickering or flashing lights.
C. 
Exposed neon lighting, except for open/closed signs hanging inside a buildings door or window.
The following are exempt from the standards contained in this Ordinance:
A. 
Decorative seasonal lighting. The decorative seasonal lights shall be removed within a reasonable time after any given reason. The Building Official will determine what the "reasonable time" should be.
B. 
Lighting for single family detached or duplex dwellings, provided that:
1. 
The lamps have a power rating of less than or equal to 75 watts;
2. 
A cutoff component is incorporated in the design of the luminaries;
3. 
The lighting level at the property line shall not exceed the maximum level specified within this division; and
4. 
The maximum lighting level at the property line may be exceeded in cases where the lamp is turned on and off by a motion sensor and the lamp is not on for a continuous period exceeding ten minutes.
C. 
Signs of the type constructed of translucent materials and wholly illuminated from within are exempt from the shielding requirement.
D. 
Temporary emergency lighting used by police, fire fighters, or other emergency services, as well as all vehicular luminaries.
E. 
Hazard warning luminaries, which are required by federal and state regulatory agencies.
F. 
Residential party lights for social gatherings. Such temporary outdoor lighting includes, but is not limited to, strings of lights and lanterns. The party lights shall be removed within a reasonable time after any given reason. The Building Official will determine what the "reasonable time" should be.
G. 
Because of their unique requirement for nighttime visibility and their limited hours of operations, public and commercial ball diamonds, playing fields, and tennis courts are exempted from the general standards of this division. Private ball diamonds, playing fields, and tennis courts on a single family lot built as an accessory use to the home on that lot are subject to the requirements of this division. Lighting for these public and commercial outdoor recreational uses shall be shielded to minimize light and glare from spilling over onto protected residential properties. The maximum permitted illumination at the property line shall not exceed two foot-candles.
H. 
Town Council may vary from these requirements as part of the approval of public street or sidewalk projects.
A. 
Exterior lighting luminaries in existence on the effective date of this ordinance shall be considered nonconforming. Such fixtures may be repaired, maintained and replaced. However, the nonconforming lighting luminaries shall be replaced to comply with this division when the property is redeveloped.
B. 
Exterior lighting luminaries existing on the effective date of this ordinance which are located on private non-residentially used property and are found to direct light or glare to protected residential properties may be declared a public nuisance if the level of illumination on protected residential property, which is caused by the luminaries, is greater than one-quarter foot-candle. Such fixtures shall be altered to reduce the level of illumination in the protected residential property to a one-quarter foot-candle within two months of receiving a written notice of the violation from the town. Two foot candles are allowed for public and commercial ball diamonds, playing fields and tennis courts.
The Building Official, or his/her designee, is hereby empowered and directed to administer and enforce the provisions of this division relating to outdoor light control.