Exterior Lighting

Overview

Exterior Lighting Standards set the requirements for effectively enhancing safety, minimizing light encroachment from developed areas, reduce sky-glow, improve nighttime visibility through glare reduction, and encourage lighting techniques and systems that conserve energy. They also reduce the adverse effects light can have on wildlife behavior and reproduction, and reduce development impact on nighttime environments.

The standards apply to all zoning districts unless specifically exempted in the zoning code, including:

• Luminaires with lamps of 100 watts or fewer in residential zoning districts;
• Emergency lighting used by police, fire fighting, medical personnel, or at their direction;
• Traffic control devices and luminaires on these devices installed by the city or other governmental entity;
• Navigational lighting systems at airports and other lighting necessary for aircraft safety;
• Holiday lighting and seasonal decorations using typical unshielded low-intensity incandescent lamps; and
• Lighting for temporary festivals, carnivals, or other amusements lasting less than 14 consecutive days, provided the lighting is turned off within 30 minutes after the last event of each day.

Read the Code

Prohibited Lighting

The following types of exterior lighting are not allowed:

• Any lighting that could interfere with the safe movement of motor vehicles, bicycles, or pedestrians on public or private streets;
• Searchlights and rotating beacons;
• Laser, strobe, and or flashing light sources or any similar high intensity light for outdoor advertising or entertainment;
• Mercury vapor and low-pressure sodium lighting; and
• Tower lighting, unless required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

General Standards

All exterior lighting for all uses, other than in the Industrial - Heavy zoning district, shall be required to account for:

• Lighting types and efficiency;
• Shielding (so the light is not visible to an observer at any property line);
• Light trespass (ensuring the light does not exceed certain levels at distance away from the property);
• Reduced lighting during evening hours;
• Maintenance;
• Parking lots or areas;
• Canopy lighting;
• Pedestrian-scaled lighting; and
• Lighting within planter islands and landscape buffers.

Alternative Compliance

Alternative means to meet the exterior lighting standards may be allowed when there are certain project elements that make it impractical or impossible to meet the standards, or when the alternative means meet or exceed what is required in the development code. This can be done by submitting the proper requests for review and approval by the Planning Department, provided that the alternative provides equal or better means for meeting the requirements, and is not detrimental to the community's public welfare or negatively affect the uses or character of the surroundings.

Historic Street Lights

There are additional requirements that apply to street lighting in specific areas, including historic districts and other areas with historic character, the Downtown planning area, as well as specifically mapped areas of downtown, Harrison Boulevard, Hyde Park, Vista Avenue, and Warm Springs Avenue (see the mapped areas in the zoning code). The requirements include:

• General standards, including by sub-district;
• Exceptions to the general standards for Grove Plaza, the 30th Street area, and Broad Street; and
• Installation.​