The purpose of this article is to regulate the use of outdoor lighting fixtures within the City of Lockport to achieve the following objectives:
A. 
Allow for the provision of outdoor lighting as needed for visibility, security and as an accent to architectural and/or landscape features.
B. 
Permit the use of outdoor lighting that does not exceed the minimum levels specified in the International Dark Sky Association and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America recommended practices for night-time safety, utility, security, productivity, enjoyment, and commerce.
C. 
Minimize adverse offsite impacts of lighting such as light trespass, and obtrusive light.
D. 
Curtail light pollution, reduce skyglow and improve the nighttime environment.
E. 
Help protect the natural environment from the adverse effects of night lighting from gas or electric sources.
F. 
Conserve energy and resources to the greatest extent possible.
A. 
Uses subject to regulation. These regulations shall apply to all outdoor lighting fixtures on any property utilized for the following purposes:
(1) 
Nonresidential uses, including industrial uses;
(2) 
Mixed-uses, whether located on the same site or within the same structure; and
(3) 
Multifamily dwellings over four units.
B. 
Site plan review. No outdoor lighting fixtures regulated under this chapter shall be erected without first receiving approval through site plan review in accordance with Article 42.
Lighting plans may be required as part of the site plan review process. Lighting plans must be prepared by a lighting professional and should include:
A. 
Location of lights with specifications,
B. 
Level of illumination at all property lines and five feet beyond based on all proposed and existing light fixtures.
C. 
Lighting cut sheets for each proposed lighting style, including lamp types (incandescent, fluorescent, low- or high-pressure sodium, etc.) and wattage for each proposed light source.
D. 
Shielding method proposed to cut-off direct light to adjacent properties.
E. 
Height of pole and fixture and/or distance above grade for wall-mounted lighting fixtures.
A. 
General standards.
(1) 
All lighting fixtures shall be fully shielded, pointing downward, to minimize skyglow, glare, and light trespass in accordance with International Dark Sky Association standards.
(2) 
Luminaries shall be so hooded or shielded that the maximum angle of the cone of direct illumination shall be 60° drawn perpendicular to the ground. Such angle may be increased to 90° if the luminary is less than three feet above ground. The cone of illumination should not extend beyond the property lines.
(3) 
All lighting shall be located and designed as an integral part of the entire project of which it is a part and shall consider the architectural and landscape context of the site.
(4) 
All wiring for lighting shall be installed underground, where applicable.
(5) 
The use of LED bulbs is preferred.
B. 
Standards by style of fixture.
(1) 
Pedestrian-scale lighting shall be provided along major pedestrian paths and along the Erie Canal.
(2) 
Pole-mounted fixtures shall not be mounted higher than 18 feet above grade. Such fixtures may exceed 18 feet in height where the New York State Department of Transportation or Niagara County Department of Public Works, or other such transportation authority regulations require.
(3) 
Spotlights or other types of artificial lighting used to illuminate signs or building faces shall be top mounted fixtures which project downward only onto the surface itself.
(4) 
Canopy lights shall be recessed within their housing so as to focus their illumination directly downward.
(5) 
The illumination of signs shall also conform to the requirements of Article 34 of this chapter.
C. 
Lighting fixture shielding and height requirements. The shielding and height of light fixtures shall be in accordance with Figure 35.1 below.
FIGURE 35.1 LIGHT FIXTURE STANDARDS
A. 
All lighting fixtures shall be shielded and directed so as not to cast an illumination of more than one foot-candle on adjacent nonresidential properties or more than 0.1 foot-candle on adjacent residential properties.
B. 
A banking institution shall be permitted to have light level in excess of the limit in this subsection, but only to the extent necessary to comply with the requirements of Article II-AA of the New York State Banking Law, commonly referred to as the "ATM Safety Act."
C. 
Outdoor lighting should be illuminated only when needed, such as during business hours or in areas requiring illumination for security purposes. The use of motion activated sensors or reduced lighting after hours is encouraged.
D. 
Fixtures shall be no brighter than necessary to illuminate the site and/or area intended. To the extent practicable, lighting fixtures shall be designed and programmed to adjust to ambient lighting conditions (e.g., decreasing the intensity of illumination at nighttime).
E. 
Bulb types should be selected to reduce blue light emissions, which may be hazardous to human health and wildlife. The use of white or amber colored lighting is preferred.
The following types of lighting shall be prohibited, unless otherwise specified:
A. 
Lighting with a color temperature exceeding 3,000° Kelvin.
B. 
Blinking, flashing, strobe, or search lights.
C. 
Exposed strip lighting used to illuminate building facades or signs.
D. 
Any light that may be confused with or construed as a traffic control device.
E. 
Roof-mounted lighting.
F. 
Mercury vapor lighting.