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Home My WebLink AboutA007 - Chamber comments on proposed Lighting ordinance a a � .BAN 151999 �I CITY CtE�K Ames Chamber of Commerce elTr of AMES, IowA O W MEMORANDUM To: Mayor and City Council Members From: David Maahs Date: January 15, 1999 Re: Chamber Comments on a Possible Lighting Ordinance Chamber members interested in a proposed lighting ordinance have met. The participants are listed on the attached sheet. Sifter a thorough discussion, we would recommend the following two suggestions: I. We suggest the City develop guidelines rather than an ordinance. These guidelines can be used as a tool by staff for new developments. We believe this course of action should be the first step rather than adopting an ordinance. 2. If the City Council wants to develop lighting guidelines, we would offer the following changes in the previously prepared material by the city staff: • The term lighting source needs to be defined. Does a lighting source mean a single bulb or a fixture? If it is a fixture, a multiple 45 watt incandescent light bulb would be covered by the regulations. This means most homes in Ames would be covered. How will this be administered? • It should be noted that implementing these guidelines for parking lots will require more poles and more expensive fixtures. • The development of lighting plans does contain a cost. The cost for these plans are built into the cost of the fixtures. While these plans are commonly conducted for large projects, it could be more difficult on small projects. With small lighting projects, it may be very difficult to get a professional's assistance. If professionals are too busy on large projects, will a remodeling or small expansion be delayed until a lighting report is done? • The light trespass standards of 0.1 footcandles for non-exempt fixtures will be impossible to enforce in residential areas. Studies have shown that lighting during a full moon is between 0.01 and 0.1 footcandles. Excluding light trespass at a figure slightly brighter than moonlight seems too restrictive. 213 Duff Avenue • Ames, Iowa 50010 • (515) 232-2310 • FAX (515) 232-6716 web site: www.ames.ia.us e-mail:chamber@ames.net J • Who will be responsible for checking that all homes and businesses have shielding devices for light fixtures near property lines? • Who determines if a light is nonessential? Most exterior lighting has the primary essential purpose of providing security which is essential. • Most businesses have signs on their buildings. The proposed regulations would prohibit lighting these signs when a business is not open. A business, if it wants, should be able to promote its location. Customers driving by the site, such as visitors, may return the following day. Many Ames businesses leave signs attached to their building on after business hours. Why is this change necessary? Have there been a number of complaints about these signs? • The low level activity parking lot maximum lighting levels are too low according to local electrical contractors. The 1.6 fc should be increased to 3.5 fc. • Requiring all outdoor advertising signs to be top mounted should be reconsidered. Off-premise signs (billboards) are already required to be top mounted. On-premise signs should be allowed latitude. Some establishments use smaller monument signs. Bottom lighting may be more appropriate for these signs and it should be allowed. • In grandfathering nonconforming lighting, businesses should be able to replace a fixture with the same fixture. For example, if a light pole needs a new fixture in a parking lot, the installation of a different fixture may cause an uneven lighting pattern. • Personal safety is a subjective issue. A large, strong person may feel very safe in a low light condition. That same situation for a small, frail individual could cause high anxiety. Light translates into safety in the eye of the beholder. Service providers with extended hours and particularly those open 24 hours, know what level of light best serves their customers. The convenience store industry does not support the maximum lighting guidelines as outlined in the proposed ordinance. Their opposition is not related to advertising rather, it stems from a desire to meet customer needs. We support the goals of this initiative but question why an ordinance is necessary. Chamber Member Attendees Mary Ann Lundy Ev Cochrane& Associates Jerry Nelson Nelson Electric Bob Deppe Bob James Cyclone Truck Stop & Resturant Time Ellet Honda of Ames Rick Thompson Thompson Oil Company Jim Lohr American Family Insurance, Jim Lohr Agency Norman Rudi Bill Lee Architects Rudi/Lee/Dreyer& Associates Carroll Nikkel Nikkel & Associates Inc. David Oesper Astrologer Bob Kindred City of Ames Brad Olson KLRX Clear 96.1 Scott Renaud Fox Engineering & Associates Ralph Farrar Doug Livy Quality Motors/U Save Auto Rental Ed Kaizer North Grand Mall Becky Petersen Technical Services, Inc. Terry Adams Adams Funeral Home Neil Borderick Krause Gentle Corp. Gary Titus IKON Office Solutions Rich Johansen Country Kitchen Royce Bitzer Iowa State University W. Ray Richardson Ames Community School District John Linch Brenton Savings Bank, FSB Betty Baudler KASI/KCCQ