The Ivins City Council will discuss potential changes to the outdoor lighting ordinance recommended by the Planning Commission on June 17th. This is not a public hearing. That should happen at a future meeting.
Some of the proposed changes are simply technical, like adding definitions for Kelvin and photometrics. But others would significantly weaken our existing outdoor lighting ordinance. Reasons given in favor of the proposed changes include the need for safety and the desire to protect private property rights from more and more government interference. Both are legitimate concerns.
I believe the safety issue can be addressed without weakening our ordinance. Private property rights are a more complicated issue. It can be difficult to find the proper balance between individual rights and community rights. The needs and desires of each of us as individuals do not always correspond to the best interests of the broader community.
I believe it is a city’s duty to protect our property rights, for all of us, so that no one has unwanted artificial light intruding onto their property and outdoor lighting does not damage our common view of the night sky or diminish the unique character of our city, while taking care to ensure safety for residents.
The way to do that is to follow the principles of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES). This is the organization that publishes standards for the lighting industry.
Here are their 5 principles of responsible outdoor lighting. I believe than any change being considered should only be approved if it meets all of these 5 principles.
- USEFUL – All light should have a clear purpose. Determine if light is needed. Consider how the use of light will impact the area, including wildlife and the environment.
- TARGETED – Light should be directed only to where needed. Use shielding and careful aiming to target the direction of the light beam so that it points downward and does not spill beyond where it is needed.
- LOW LIGHT LEVELS – Light should be no brighter than necessary. Use the lowest light level required.
- CONTROLLED – Light should be used only when it is useful. Use controls such as timers or motion detectors.
- COLOR – Use warmer color lights where possible. Limit the amount of shorter wavelength (blue-violet) light to the least amount needed.
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Recent “Outdoor Lighting” posts
- Public Hearing On Outdoor Lighting This WeekThe Ivins City Council will hold a public hearing this Thursday, August 19th, to get input from citizens about the proposed changes to the Outdoor Lighting Ordinance. Here is the latest version of the proposed Outdoor Lighting Ordinance. They have been working on this for quite a while and made some positive progress at their…
- I Moved To East Canyons. You Moved TooI used to live in Ivins. Last Thursday I moved to “East Canyons.” Maybe you moved to East Canyons too. If not, then you either moved to “West Cliffs” or “Central Mountain.” That’s right, at the last City Council meeting they approved carving up the city into three zones with different street lighting standards in…
- Don’t Zone OutAt the last City Council meeting, Mayor Hart said that two key criteria for an outdoor lighting ordinance should be: (1) Neighbors cannot see the light source; and (2) light does not spill beyond your yard, creating light trespass. Bravo. Fortunately, light trespass is easily fixed by using properly shielded fixtures and reasonable illumination levels.…
- Changes to the Outdoor Lighting OrdinanceThe Ivins City Council will discuss potential changes to the outdoor lighting ordinance recommended by the Planning Commission on June 17th. This is not a public hearing. That should happen at a future meeting. Some of the proposed changes are simply technical, like adding definitions for Kelvin and photometrics. But others would significantly weaken our…
- Bollards Versus Streetlights in KayentaThe City last updated its specifications for streetlighting in 2019. At that time, the question on how to provide lighting in the “rural area” was undecided. The rural area mostly begins on the west side of 400W and covers all of Kayenta and some other parcels. At the June 3, 2021 City Council meeting, Public…