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HomeMy WebLinkAboutA001 - Staff Report, Proposed Lighting Ordinance o4AQ STAFF REPORT PROPOSED LIGHTING ORDINANCE The City Council directed City staff to research and identify specific lighting standards for the purpose of preparing a lighting ordinance that would be applied to private property. Staff researched information available on outdoor lighting and outdoor lighting regulation, and acquired model lighting ordinances, as well as several adopted lighting ordinances from around the country. A Lighting Task Force was also formed to review the outdoor lighting literature, the model ordinances, and the adopted lighting ordinances. This group consisted of: Royce Bitzer Bill Lee Dave Oesper Rick Thompson City staff worked with the taskforce, which met six times. The task force reviewed the available literature, made site visits throughout the community to measure lighting levels at night, and came to a consensus about the lighting issues that should be included in a lighting ordinance for this community. A statement of need and purpose and goals for the proposed lighting ordinance were developed, as well as a list of issues that should be addressed in the ordinance. These were presented to the City Council on July 14, 1998. At the City Council meeting of July 14, 1998, the Council reviewed the issues identified by the task force and directed that the City Attorney prepare a draft lighting ordinance, which is attached to this report. They also requested that the draft lighting ordinance be presented to the business community via the Chamber of Commerce. The City Attorney prepared the draft lighting ordinance, and it was subsequently reviewed by the Lighting Task Force. The maximum lighting levels within the ordinance are based on recommended lighting standards established by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA). The lighting task force recommended that the maximum levels in the draft ordinance be twice the IESNA recommended standards. Based on input from people in the community that are knowledgeable about lighting levels, staff believes that the vast majority of businesses in the community currently are within these maximum lighting levels. Staff and the Lighting Task Force met with the Chamber members interested in the proposed lighting ordinance at two meetings sponsored by the Local Issues Committee of the Chamber. After discussion of the issues with people associated with the Local Issues Committee, some suggestions were offered. The memorandum from the Chamber is attached for your information. After reading the suggestions from the Chamber group, two members of the Lighting Task Force wrote a response to the concerns of the Chamber members. This response is also attached for your information. Also attached is a letter from Gary Stanfield, addressing some lighting issues that relate to convenience stores, based on his experience as a convenience store manager. After reviewing the draft lighting ordinance, if the City Council wishes to proceed, the ordinance should be referred to the Planning and Zoning Commission for their review and comment prior to setting a public hearing, since the lighting ordinance will be a part of the zoning ordinance. EMS:clh Attachment 2 ORDINANCE NO. AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE MUNICIPAL CODE OF THE CITY OF AMES, IOWA, BY ENACTING A NEW DIVISION IX, SECTIONS 29.901 - 29.913, TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE TO REGULATE OUTDOOR LIGHTING; REPEALING ANY AND ALL ORDINANCES OR PARTS OF ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT TO THE EXTENT OF SUCH CONFLICT; PROVIDING A PENALTY; AND ESTABLISHING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. BE IT ENACTED, by the City Council for the City of Ames, Iowa, that: Section One. The Municipal Code of the City of Ames, Iowa shall be and the same is hereby amended by enacting a new Division IX, Sections 29.901 -29.913, of the Zoning Ordinance as follows: "Sec. 29.901. Outdoor Lighting Code. The provisions of Division IX, Sections 29.901 - 29.913, of the Zoning Ordinance may be referred to as the Outdoor Lighting Code. These regulations are intended to reduce the problems created by improperly designed and installed outdoor lighting. It is intended to eliminate problems of glare, minimize light trespass, and help 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 and by limiting the total allowable illumination of lots located in the City of Ames, Iowa. All business, residential, and community driveway, sidewalk, and property luminaires should be installed with the idea of being a"good neighbor", with attempts to keep unnecessary direct light from shining onto abutting properties or streets. A purpose of the Outdoor Lighting Code is to set standards for outdoor lighting so that its use does not interfere with the reasonable use and enjoyment of property within the City. It is an intent of the Outdoor Lighting Code to encourage lighting practices that will reduce light pollution by reducing up-light, glare, and over lighting. Sec.29.902. Definitions. For the purposes of Sections 29.901 through 29.913, terms used shall be defined as follows: (1) Direct Light: Light emitted directly from the lamp, off of the reflector or reflector diffuser, or through the refractor or diffuser lens, of a luminaire. (2) Fixture: The assembly that houses the lamp or lamps and can include all or some of the following parts: a housing, a mounting bracket or pole socket, a lamp holder, a ballast, a reflector or mirror, and/or a refractor or lens. (3) Flood or Spot light: Any light fixture or lamp that incorporates a reflector or a refractor to concentrate the light output into a directed beam in a particular direction. (4) Fully-shielded lights: outdoor light fixtures shielded or constructed so that no light rays are emitted by the installed fixture at angles above the horizontal plane as certified by a photometric test report. (5) Glare: Direct light emitted from a luminaire with an intensity great enough to cause visual discomfort,eye fatigue,a reduction in a viewer's ability to see, or in extreme cases momentary blindness. (6) Grandfathered luminaires: Luminaires not conforming to this Outdoor Lighting Code that were in place at the time this Outdoor Lighting Code went into effect. (7) Indirect Light: Direct light that has been reflected or has scattered off of other surfaces. (8) Lamp: The component of a luminaire that produces the actual light. (9) Light Trespass: The shining of light produced by a luminaire beyond the boundaries of the property on which it is located. 1 (10) Lumen: A unit of luminous flux. One footcandle is one lumen per square foot. For the purposes of these regulations, the lumen-output values shall be the initial lumen output ratings of a lamp. (11) Luminaire: This is a complete lighting system, and includes a lamp or lamps and a fixture. (12) Outdoor Lighting: The night-time illumination of an outside area or object by any man- made device located outdoors that produces light by any means. Sec. 29.903. REGULATIONS. All public and private outdoor lighting installed in the City of Ames, Iowa shall be in conformance with the requirements established by the Outdoor Lighting Code. Sec. 29.904. CONTROL OF GLARE--LUMINAIRE DESIGN FACTORS. (1) Any luminaire with a lamp or lamps rated at a total of more than 1800 lumens, and all flood or spot luminaires with a lamp or lamps rated at a total of more than 900 lumens, shall not emit, in its installed position,any direct light above a horizontal plane through the lowest direct light emitting part of the luminaire. (2) Any luminaire with a lamp or lamps rated at a total of more than 1800 lumens, and all flood or spot luminaires with a lamp or lamps rated at a total of more than 900 lumens, shall not emit in its installed position any more than 5% of its total light output in the zone from 15 degrees below the horizontal to the horizontal plane through the lowest direct light emitting part of the luminaire. Sec. 29.905. EXCEPTIONS TO CONTROL OF GLARE. (1) Any luminaire with a lamp or lamps rated at a total of 1800 lumens or less, and all flood or spot luminaires with a lamp or lamps rated at 900 lumens or less, may be used without any restriction as to light distribution or mounting height, except that if any spot or flood luminaire rated 900 lumens or less is aimed, directed, or focused such as to cause direct light from the luminaire to be directed toward residential buildings on adjacent or nearby land, or to create glare perceptible to persons operating motor vehicles on public ways, the luminaire shall be redirected or its light output controlled as necessary to eliminate such conditions. (2) All temporary emergency lighting needed by the Police or Fire Departments or other emergency services,as well as all vehicular luminaires, shall be exempt from the requirements of the Outdoor Lighting Code. (3) All hazard warning luminaires required by Federal regulatory agencies are exempt from the requirements of the Outdoor Lighting Code, except that all luminaires 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. (4) A building or structure that has been designated for historic preservation by the City of Ames, State of Iowa, or the National Park Service, shall be exempt from the "fully shielded" requirements, if an historic restoration cannot be achieved by other means. (5) Any lighting source producing less than 1800 lumens shall be exempt from the Outdoor Lighting Code. Sec. 29.906. OUTDOOR ADVERTISING SIGNS. (1) Lighting fixtures used to illuminate an outdoor advertising sign shall be mounted on the top of the sign structure. All such fixtures shall comply with the shielding requirements of Section 29.904. Bottom-mounted outdoor advertising-sign lighting shall not be used. (2) Outdoor advertising signs of the type constructed of translucent materials and wholly illuminated from within do not require shielding. Dark backgrounds with light lettering or symbols are preferred, to minimize detrimental effects. 2 (3) Electrical illumination of outdoor advertising off-site signs between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., shall only be done by means of lights directed downward. Sec. 29.907. RECREATIONAL FACILITIES Lighting of outdoor recreational facilities(public or private), such as, but not limited to, football fields, soccer fields, baseball fields, softball fields, tennis courts, special event or show areas, shall meet the following conditions: (1) All fixtures used for such lighting shall be fully shielded as defined in Section 29.902(4), or be designed or provided with sharp cut-off capability, so as to minimize up-light, spill-light, and glare. (2) Illumination of the playing field, court, track, or event site, after midnight is prohibited except to conclude a scheduled event that was scheduled to be completed before 11:00 p.m. that circumstances prevented concluding before 11:00 p.m. Sec. 29.908. PROHIBITIONS (1) Laser Source Light. The use of laser source light or any similar high intensity light for outdoor advertising or entertainment. when projected above the horizontal is prohibited. (2) Towers. Lighting on towers is prohibited except as required by regulations of the Federal Aviation Administration. (3) Searchlights. The operation of searchlights for advertising purposes is prohibited. (4) All outdoor light fixtures existing or hereafter installed and maintained upon private property within commercial,industrial or multi-family zones shall be turned off between midnight and sunrise except when used for: (a) Commercial and industrial uses,such as in sales, assembly and repair areas where such use continues after midnight, but when such use is actively occurring. (b) Security purposes or to illuminate walkways, roadways, equipment yards and parking lots; and, (c) Recreational use that continues after midnight, but only as allowed by Section 29.907(2) (d) On-premises business signs may be illuminated while the business facility on the premises is open to the public. Sec. 29.909. GRANDFATHERING OF NONCONFORMING LUMINAIRES Luminaires lawfully in place prior to the effective date of the Outdoor Lighting Code shall be grandfathered. However, any luminaire that replaces a grandfathered lummaire, or any grandfathered luminaire that is moved, must meet the standards of the Outdoor Lighting Code. Sec. 29.910. DEVELOPMENT PERMITS (1) Submission Contents. The applicant for any permit or site plan approval required by any provision of the ordinances of this city involving outdoor lighting fixtures shall submit(as part of the application for site plan approval or a permit) evidence that the proposed work or activity will comply with the Outdoor Lighting Code. Specifically, the application or submission shall include: (a) plans indicating the location on the premises, and the type of illuminating devices, fixtures, lamps, supports, reflectors, and other devices; (b) a detailed description of the illuminating devices, fixtures, lamps, supports, reflectors,and other devices. The description shall include manufacturer's catalog cuts and drawings, including sections when requested; (c) photometric data, such as that furnished by manufacturers, showing the angle of cut off or light emissions. 3 (2) Additional Submission. The above required plans, descriptions and data shall be sufficiently complete to enable the plans examiner to readily determine whether compliance with the requirements of the Outdoor Lighting Code will be secured. If such plans, descriptions and data cannot enable this ready determination, by reason of the nature or configuration of 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. (3) Lamp or Fixture Substitution. Should any outdoor light fixture, or the type of light source therein,be changed after the permit has been issued, a change request must be submitted to the building official for approval, together with adequate information to assure compliance with this code, which must be received prior to substitution. Sec. 29.911. LIGHT TRESPASS All nonexempt outdoor lighting fixtures shall be designed, installed, and maintained to prevent light trespass as follows: (1) At the property line of subject property, illumination from light fixtures shall not exceed 0.1 footcandles on residentially zoned property or 0.5 footcandles on commercial zone property, measured in a vertical plane. (2) Outdoor fight fixtures properly installed and thereafter maintained shall be directed so that there will be no objectionable direct light emissions. (3) Light fixtures near property lines shall have shielding devices as necessary to prevent light trespass. Sec. 29.912. MAXIMUM LIGHTING LEVELS Average initial horizontal illuminance shall not exceed the limits set for various types of uses as follows (given in foot candles=fc): (1) Parking Lots: Level of Activity: High Regional Shopping Centers 7.2 fc Fast Food Facilities Major Cultural or Civic Events Medium Community Shopping Centers 4.8 fc Cultural, Civic, or Recreational Events Office Parking Airports, Commuter Lots, etc. Residential Complex Parking Hospital Parking Low Neighborhood Shopping 1.6 fc Industrial Employee Parking Educational Facilities Churches Note: "Low"values are appropriate wherever there is a requirement to maintain security at any time in areas where there is a low level of nighttime activity. (2) Building Exteriors: Entrances Active(pedestrian and/or conveyance) 10 fc Inactive(normally locked,infrequently used) 2 fc Vital locations or structures 10 fc Building surrounds 2 fc (3) Loading/Unloading Areas: 40 fc 4 (4) Storage Yards: Active 40 fc Inactive 2 fc (5) Outdoor Sales Areas: Proximity to Residential Property More than 500 ft. 500 ft. or less Seasonal Circulation 14 fc 10 fc Marketing Area 40 fc 20 fc Feature Display SO fc 40 fc Auto Lots Circulation 14 fc 10 fc Merchandise 60 fc 40 fc Feature Display 100 fc 70 fc (6) Service Stations/Convenience Stores: Proximity to Residential Property More than 500 ft. 500 ft. or less Approach 6 fc 3 fc Driveway 10 fc 3 fc Pump Island 60 fc 40 fc Service Areas 14 fc 6 fe Sec. 29.913. PENALTIES A violation of any provisions of Section 29.901 through 29.912 shall be a municipal infraction punishable by a penalty of$500 for a person's first violation thereof, and a penalty of$750 for each repeat violation." Section Two. All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith are hereby repealed to the extent of such conflict, if ally. Section Three. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and publication as required by law. Passed this day of , 1999. Diane R. Voss, City Clerk Ted Tedesco, Mayor 0506 Rev. 1/19/99 5