I was just sent the new lighting ordinance Darlington SC just passed, and Im including it here. I found a few subtle errors and commentary will follow later.
Its interesting to see how these have adapted since the AMA linked blue-rich light at night with health problems.
ORDINANCE NO. 2019-21
OUTDOOR LIGHTING ORDINANCE
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA
The following shall replace Section 6-6 Outdoor lighting of Article VI of the Zoning Ordinance for the City of Darlington:
Section 6-6 OUTDOOR LIGHTING
Section 6-6.1 PURPOSE AND INTENT
These regulations are intended to prevent unnecessary up-light and light pollution; protect drivers and pedestrians from the glare of non-vehicular light sources, prohibit light trespass onto adjacent properties; promote energy savings by requiring responsible, efficient lighting design and operation; and maintain or improve nighttime public health, safety, security and productivity. These regulations apply, but are not limited to lighting for: Streets, Parking Areas, Walkways, Commercial, Industrial, Multi-family Residential, Public/Private Recreational/Sports, Signs/Billboards, Architectural Lighting, Outdoor Display/Sales Areas, and Equipment Storage Areas.
Section 6-6.2 EXTERIOR ILLUMINATION
LIGHTING CLASSES
Class 1 Lighting: (White) All outdoor lighting used for, but not limited to, outdoor sales or eating areas, building entryways/exits, gas station canopies, assembly or repair areas, advertising or other signs, recreational facilities and other similar applications where Color Rendition is important to preserve the effectiveness of the activity.
Class 2 Lighting: (Amber) All outdoor lighting used for, but not limited to, illumination for driveways and walkways, streets and roadways, equipment yards, parking lots and other outdoor security where General Illumination for safety or security of the grounds is the primary concern.
Class 3 Lighting: (White/Amber/All Colors) Any outdoor lighting used for Decorative Effects including, but not limited to, architectural illumination, flag and monument lighting, and illumination of trees, shrubbery, and other vegetation.
All new or replacement outdoor lighting fixtures with an initial output over 900 lumens shall be fully shielded fixtures emitting no light at per above the 90-degree horizontal plane through the lowest part of the fixture. Furthermore, light emissions at all lateral angles around the fixtures shall not exceed 10% of the total lumen output at 80-degrees up from vertical, i.e. directly below the fixture. The IESNA BUG Rating shall not exceed B1, U0, G1. The Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) of all fixtures shall not exceed 2700K (Kelvin) unless otherwise specified. Lighting shall be designed, installed, and maintained to prevent direct glare for drivers and pedestrians and light trespass across adjacent property lines. For perimeter lighting in areas abutting residential properties, B0 and G0 shall not be exceeded.
(1) Lighting for streets and parking areas shall be Class 2 and shall be either High Pressure Sodium (HPS) or Phospher-converted Amber LED (PCALED) with S/P ratio of 0.6 or less and utilize fully shielded fixtures.
(2) Building mounted wall-pack fixtures shall be fully shielded. Class 1 lighting shall be used for building entryways and exits, and Class 2 lighting shall be used for general illumination.
(3) “Dusk-to-Dawn” security lights shall be Class 2 and utilize fully shielded fixtures.
(4) Due to the excessive glare produced by unshielded high-lumen Historical fixtures, all new or replacement fixtures shall be fully shield and not exceed a G1 Glare Rating.
(5) Floodlight Shielding and Aiming Criteria
Floodlighting is discouraged, but if used must be fully shielded and aimed at a maximum vertical angle not to exceed forty-five (45) degrees defined as the angle formed between the central beam axis and the vertical axis directly below the fixture mounting. Fixtures shall be equipped with a deep-visor (shield) that extends forward from the face of the lens by a minimum distance equal to the vertical height of the lens opening. Floodlights shall be aimed so that the central beam axis falls within the property lines for all applications to
(1) Prevent direct light (glare) onto the public right-of-way,
(2) Prevent glare and light trespass onto residential properties, and
(3) Prevent unnecessary up-light. (Refer to the City floodlight information sheet.)
(6) Illumination Levels
For all lighting applications the “maintained horizontal illuminance recommendations” set by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) shall not be exceeded.
(7) Off-Site Light Trespass
In commercial areas, light projected onto other commercial properties shall not exceed 1.0 foot-candle. However, any light projected onto abutting residential properties shall not exceed 0.1 foot-candle. All measurements shall be taken at five (5) feet above grade level at the property line.
(
Vegetation screens or any other type of buffer shall not be employed to serve as the primary means for controlling glare and light trespass. Rather, glare and light trespass control shall be achieved primarily through the use of such means as fully shielded fixtures, shields and baffles, and appropriate application of fixture mounting height, wattage, aiming angle, and fixture placement.
(9) Resumption of Use After Abandonment
If a property with non-conforming lighting is abandoned, then all outdoor lighting is reviewed and brought into compliance before the use is resumed.
6-6.3 CANOPY LIGHTING/BUILDING OVERHANGS (Class 1 Lighting)
(1) Light fixtures for gas station/convenience store canopies shall be recessed and have a flat lens mounted flush with the surface (ceiling) of the canopy so as to minimize off-site glare and light trespass. LED fixtures shall also be recessed and have a fully shielded light distribution. The IESNA recommended average maintained horizontal illuminance levels for all areas shall not be exceeded. All area lighting shall be Class 2 and utilize fully shielded fixtures.
(2) Lighting for fast food, bank, drugstore drive-ups; motel, hotel, theater, bays, loading and unloading spaces; and all other canopies or overhands shall utilize recessed, fully shielded fixtures. All area lighting shall be Class 2 and utilize fully shielded fixtures.
6-6.4 SPORTS/RECREATIONAL LIGHTING (Class 1 Lighting)
Fixtures used for sport and recreational lighting shall be fully shielded so as to prevent direct glare and light trespass into residential areas and roadways adjacent to the sports facility, and to prevent wasteful uplight. The Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) shall not exceed 5700K. The hours of operations shall not exceed one hour after the end of the event or 12:00 midnight, whichever is sooner unless authorized in writing by the City.
6-6.5 OUTDOOR DISPLAY/SALES AREAS (Class 1 Lighting)
All lighting fixtures shall be fully shielded and be designed, installed, and maintained to prevent direct glare and light trespass onto adjacent roadways or residential areas, and to prevent unnecessary uplight. Lighting for all areas shall not exceed the IESNA recommendations for average maintained horizontal illuminance levels.
6-6.6 SIGNS/BILLBOARDS (Class 1 Lighting)
(1) Externally illuminated signs and billboards shall use top mounted and fully shielded fixtures that direct light downward onto, but not beyond, the sign or billboard facade. Lighting shall not exceed 200 initial lumens per square foot.
(2) Internally illuminated signs shall have a dark (opaque) background that allows light to shine only through the lettering or logo to minimize detrimental effects.
(3) Digital Signs: At no point on the face of the sign shall the luminance exceed 4,500 nits during daylight hours. Signs shall be dimmed automatically at sunset to 10 p.m. and shall not exceed 100 nits when the display is set to show maximum white (100% full white mode). Displays must be cut off or turned to 0% brightness between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. If a business operates after 10 p.m., the displays must be cut off or turned to 0% brightness when the business closes.
6-6.7 ARCHITECTURAL/LANDSCAPE/ACCENT LIGHTING (Class 3 Lighting)
(1) The maximum illuminance on any vertical surface or angular roof shall not exceed 3.0 average maintained foot-candles. Light fixtures shall be fully shielded, located, and aimed so that light is directed only onto the building facade. Fixtures shall not be directed toward adjacent streets or properties. To the extent practicable, fixtures shall be mounted on the building and directed downward to “wash” the facade or roof with light.
(2) Landscape lighting shall be of low intensity (low voltage) for a subtle lighting effect and use fully shielded narrow-beam fixtures that prevent glare, light trespass, and uplight from spilling beyond their primary target. Down-lighting is encouraged.
(3) For statues or other objects that cannot be illuminated by down-lighting, low intensity up-lighting may be used so long as the fixtures are fully shielded and are a narrow-cone spotlight which confines the light to the object of interest.
(4) Fixtures for lighting flags shall have a maximum of 5000 initial lumens and be equipped with a narrow cone shield.
6-6.8 EXEMPTIONS
(1) Individual homeowners.
(2) Traditional seasonal lighting.
(3) Temporary lighting used while the performance of their duties by Law Enforcement, Fire Department, and Emergency Services shall be exempt.
(4) Federal hazard warning lights.
6-6.9 GRANDFATHERING
(1) Lamp (bulb) replacement with original wattage/lumens is permissible, but fixtures shall meet the fully shielded requirements of this Ordinance if replaced, moved, modified, or repaired. Ballast replacement is considered a repair. A replacement fixture shall not increase the wattage or lumen output of the original fixture.
(2) Any grandfathered fixture deemed by the Building Official to cause nuisance glare or create a safety hazard, i.e., discomfort or disability glare, shall be made to comply with these regulations within 60 days.
6-6.10 SITE PLAN SUBMISSION REQUIRED
An electrical permit is required when installing outdoor lighting. To show compliance, the City requires that any person applying for a permit involving outdoor lighting fixtures, including signs, shall submit plans and descriptions showing the locations, types of fixtures, mounting heights, lamps, supports, poles, manufacturer’s catalog cuts, and photometric data.
The lighting plan shall include a minimum of the following:
(1) Site plan drawn to scale including permanent structures and point-to-point illuminance levels laid out in a standard grid pattern.
(2) Fixture schedule including, but not limited to, manufacturer, catalog number, lamp type, IESNA pattern type, longitudinal distribution, light loss factor applied, initial luminous output of the lamp(s) in lumens, number of lamps for each fixture.
(3) System statistics schedule shall include average maintained illuminance for each designated task area, minimum and maximum luminance, max/min uniformity, and average/minimum uniformity ratio.
(4) Lighting power density expressed in watts per square foot for each specific task area to be illuminated.
(5) Under no conditions shall the entire parcel square footage by used to develop the average illuminance level.
Should any type of fixture or type of light source be changed after the permit is issued, a change request must be submitted to the Building Official for approval, together with adequate information to assure compliance with this Ordinance, which must be submitted prior to substitution.
6-6.11 DEFINITIONS
BUG: The lighting Industry’s Rating System that classifies the amount of Backlight (B), Uplight (U), and Glare (G) of a fixture.
CCT: Correlated Color Temperature, measured in degrees Kelvin (K), is a numerical figure used to describe the apparent color of light in the visual spectrum. The lower the Kelvin number, the more eye friendly and “warm” the light appears; the higher the Kelvin number, the “bluer” and “harsher” the light appears to our eyes. (See Spectral Power Distribution)
Class 1 Lighting: See Section 6-6.2 LIGHTING CLASSES
Class 2 Lighting: See Section 6-6.2 LIGHTING CLASSES
Class 3 Lighting: See Section 6-6.2 LIGHTING CLASSES
Curfew: A time established for listed lighting systems to be automatically extinguished or reduced each night.
Direct Light: Light that can be seen directly from the light source and other light-emitting or refracting elements of the fixture. (See also Glare)
Fixture: Refers to all component parts such as the housing, lamp, lens, reflectors, refracting lens, internal refracting elements or louvers,and mounting brackets of the lighting apparatus.
Foot-candle: A standard unit of measurement representing the density of luminous flux falling upon a surface. One foot-candle equals one lumen per square foot.
Fully Shielded Fixture: A fixture constructed and installed in such a manner that all light emitted by it, either directly from the lamp or a diffusing element, or indirectly by reflection or refraction from any part of the fixture, is projected below the horizontal plane through the fixture’s lowest light-emitting part. A fully shielded fixture will have a BUG Up-light Rating of U0 (U Zero).
Glare: Direct light emitting from a fixture with an intensity great enough in contrast to the field of view to reduce a viewer’s ability to see and in many cases causing momentary blindness and possible discomfort. (See Veiling Luminance)
IESNA: Illuminating Engineering Society of North America. The organization that established recommended safe lighting levels for the lighting industry. Refer to
www.iesna.org.
LED: Light Emitting Diode.
Light Pollution: All adverse effects of outdoor lighting that means, but not limited to, light emitted above the horizontal plane into the sky, but also includes glare, light trespass, energy waste from overly bright applications, and visual clutter. (Scientific Definition: Introduction by humans, directly or indirectly, of artificial light into the environment)
Light Trespass: Direct light from a fixture that shines beyond the boundaries of the property on which the fixture is located. It is light that intrudes into an area where it is not wanted or does not belong.
Low-voltage landscape lighting: Lighting systems powered by 15 volts or less, a maximum of 525 lumens, and suitable for landscape lighting by listing.
Lumen: A standard unit of measurement referring to the amount of light energy emitted by a light source.
Maintained Illuminance: Illuminance levels calculated by the application of an appropriate light loss factor (LLF) to initial lamp lumens that accommodate the normal depreciating effects of operational use on a lighting system.
Non-essential lighting: Lighting that serves an intended purpose but, to save energy, can be extinguished after the purpose has been served. Example: Lighting for a business sign is considered non-essential because it can be extinguished at the conclusion of business.
Spectral Power Distribution: A lamp’s spectral power distribution (SPD) is a quantitative measure in nanometers of the amount of energy (power) emitted at different wavelengths. The higher the SPD number, the more eye-friendly and “warm” the light appears. The lower the SPD number, the “bluer” and “harsher” the light appears to our eyes.
Use, Abandonment of: The relinquishment of a property, or cessation of use or activity, by the owner or tenant A use shall be deemed abandoned when such use is evidence by the cessation of activities or conditions which constitute the principle use of the property.
Veiling Luminance: A luminance superimposed on the retinal image which reduces its contrast. It is this veiling luminance produced by bright sources or areas in the visual field that results in decreased visual performance and visibility. (Also known as Disability Glare).
DONE AND RATIFIED in City Council