§ 806. Outdoor Lighting.

806.1.   Intent.

These outdoor lighting regulations intend to protect people and property values from the nuisance and harm of excessive outdoor lighting that:

A.

Hinders or decreases visibility.

B.

Glares into the eyes of drivers.

C.

Creates a blinding brightness that leaves high-contrast, unsafely dark, shadowed areas.

D.

Creates an artificial atmospheric glow that prevents residents from enjoying the night sky around their homes.

E.

Spills into the yards, homes and streets of neighborhoods trying to maintain a visually calm residential character.

806.2.   Applicability.

Unless exempted in Section 806.3, a lighting plan is required to meet these lighting regulations and shall apply to:

A.

Development and redevelopment of nonresidential projects, multi-family dwelling residential projects, and common improvements in other residential projects, e.g., recreational facilities.

B.

Outdoor lighting fixtures added to or intensified in nonresidential projects, multifamily projects, and common improvements in single-family residential projects, e.g., vehicle use areas and recreational facilities. Routine maintenance, e.g., cleaning and changing bulbs, ballast, starter, housing, lenses and other similar components, shall not constitute intensification provided such changes do not result in a higher lumen output compared to the fixture when new, i.e., a light brighter than the intensity of the original installation as determined by the lumen rating printed on the bulb, the shipping package, or the specification sheet.

806.3.   Exemptions.

The following types of lights are exempt from the provisions of this Section:

A.

Low Intensity. Lighting to safely illuminate street address numbers, residential building entries, residential driveways, and residential yards with light sources rated less than eight hundred (800) lumens or with fixtures shielded to block direct illumination beyond these areas.

B.

Streets. Lighting to safely illuminate streets, including but not limited to their driving lanes, sidewalks, roadside recovery shoulders, and emergency lanes. Such fixtures shall have full horizontal shielding to prevent direct illumination above the fixture and to minimize direct illumination of residences nearby (see Figure 8-1).

Figure 8-1: Vertical cross section of fixture with full horizontal shielding

C.

Emergency. Lighting for emergency safety repairs or natural disaster recovery.

D.

Construction. Lighting for building or site construction not exceeding ten (10) days during any consecutive twelve (12) months.

E.

Road and Utility Repairs. Lighting for construction, renovation, or repair of roads and utilities.

F.

Signs. Lighting for signs permitted by this Code, under the following conditions:

1.

Externally illuminated signs shall have full oblique shielding aiming the light down onto the sign (see Figure 8-2). The interior surface of the shield below the lens has a dull and dark finish to prevent reflection of light.

2.

Internally illuminated signs shall comply with the Driver Vision Impairment requirements of this Section unless the signs serve only to provide driver directions without interfering with safe driver vision or traffic controls. Interpretation of sign lighting standards is intended to be a function of sign-types and should not be interpreted to regulate the content of signs.

3.

The light from a sign shall not exceed the Measurable Spill Illumination Limits of this Section or violate the Driver Vision Impairment requirements of this Section.

Figure 8-2: Vertical cross section of fixture with full oblique shielding

G.

Religious or National Symbols and Flags. Lighting for religious or national symbols and flags permitted by this Code, under the following conditions:

1.

Symbols and flags that need illumination should have full oblique shielding but may have spot lights aimed up only to illuminate the symbol or flag.

2.

Internally illuminated symbols shall comply with the Driver Vision Impairment requirements of this Section.

3.

The light for a symbol or flag shall not exceed the Measurable Spill Illumination Limits of this Section or violate the Driver Vision Impairment requirements of this Section.

H.

Underwater Lamps. Underwater lamps in swimming pools and other water bodies for safety.

I.

Safety. Lighting required by government law for safety as follows:

1.

Lamps for exit signs, traffic control, waterway navigation, and aviation navigation shall have no restriction.

2.

Lamps for ramps, stairs, handicap access, boat dock decks, and other safety purposes shall have fully shielded fixtures aiming the light down onto the area requiring illumination by law.

806.4.   Illumination Limits.

A.

Direct Illumination. Unless otherwise exempted in Section 806.3, all outdoor lighting fixtures shall have full oblique shielding (see Figure 8-2) so that a property's light sources do not directly illuminate another property that has an outdoor lighting protected area.

B.

Driver Vision Impairment. Lights shall not impair the vision of drivers and interfere with safe driving. A light source shall have shields to prevent it from glaring into the eyes of drivers where drivers need to see structures, signs, other vehicles, and overhead clearances to a height of sixteen (16) feet. Affected driving areas include streets, driveways, parking lots, and other vehicle use areas on-site or off-site.

C.

Measurable Spill Illumination Limits. The total illumination caused by all of a property's outdoor lighting, including light sources, diffraction, and reflections from on-site objects, shall not illuminate another property in excess of the following limits:

1.

0.2 foot-candles on property with outdoor lighting protected areas but not including the street rights-of-way.

2.

1.5 foot-candles on street rights-of-way because such limited coincidental illumination of a street will not constitute a nuisance to people using the street.

806.5.   Fixture Height.

Fixture height, measured from finished grade at ground level to the bottom of the light source, determines the vertical point from which the light projects downward. Regardless of the following height limits, prevention of spill illumination may require lower heights according to calculations and plots in the lighting plan.

A.

All light fixtures located within fifty (50) feet of any another property that has an outdoor lighting protected area shall not exceed sixteen (16) feet in height.

B.

All light fixtures located within one hundred (100) feet of any another property that has an outdoor lighting protected area shall not exceed twenty (20) feet in height.

C.

All other light fixtures elsewhere shall not exceed thirty (30) feet in height.

806.6.   Controllers, Timers and Sensors.

A.

Lights shall not illuminate when not needed. Unnecessary light constitutes a nuisance and a harm that timers, light sensors, switches, motion detectors, and occupancy sensors may prevent.

B.

All electrical circuits for outdoor lighting shall have manually controlled switches conveniently located for manual operation.

C.

Light sensors shall automatically turn off lights when they sense adequate daylight.

D.

Timers shall automatically turn off and turn on lights when their clocks arrive at pre-set times corresponding to the times needing the lights. Alternatively, the controller may dim lights or allow fewer lights to remain on for security and safety. Motion detectors and occupancy sensors may interrupt to turn on lights for timed durations.

806.7.   Special Lights.

A.

Aerial Lights. No fixture shall aim light upward to search, sweep, or move through the sky.

B.

Accent Lights. Light used to accent architectural features, fascia, landscaping, art, or similar objects shall not directly illuminate outdoor lighting protected areas. All such light shall terminate on opaque surfaces within the property.

C.

Boat Dock and Marina Lights.  

1.

All lighting for boat docks and marinas, public or private, shall provide shields to prevent spill illumination beyond the property and beyond the permitted boat docking and turning areas.

2.

If required by government law for safe navigation, then navigation lights may mark channels and navigational hazards in the waterways.

3.

If required by government law for safety, then lamps for boat dock decks shall have fully shielded fixtures aiming the light down onto the area requiring illumination by law.

D.

Canopy Lights. An opaque canopy, soffit, or overhang may serve as the required horizontal cut off and fixture shielding for lights fully recessed into the underside of the canopy. Such shielding shall appear as part of the fixture detail required on a lighting plan.

E.

Fascia Lights. Fascia on a canopy shall not include fixtures for outdoor lighting of the site or buildings. A sign on the fascia may include lights to illuminate the sign, but the illuminated area of the fascia shall count toward the maximum sign area permitted by sign regulations.

F.

Gas Pump, Convenience Business, Automatic Teller Machine, and other Required Security Lights. Whenever state or federal law requires certain intense illumination levels for security, then the location, intensity, quantity, height, shielding, and aim of such lights shall satisfy such requirement while still complying with these regulations, e.g., preventing direct illumination off-site, to the maximum extent possible.

G.

Outline Lights. Illuminated tubing, strings of lights, back-lighted objects, or similar fixtures that outline structures, sales areas, roofs, doors, windows, plants, or similar areas shall not light upward.

H.

Projection Lights. All projected light, laser or otherwise, shall terminate on an opaque surface.

I.

Required Lights. Whenever state or federal law requires certain illumination, e.g., safe access, then the location, intensity, quantity, height, shielding, and aim of such lights shall satisfy such requirements while still complying with these regulations, e.g., preventing direct illumination off-site, to the maximum extent possible.

J.

Stadium and Recreation Lights.  

1.

Whenever players in sporting events and recreational activities require certain intense illumination levels for safety, then the location, intensity, quantity, height, shielding, and aim of such lights shall satisfy such requirement while still complying with these regulations, e.g., preventing direct illumination off-site, to the maximum extent possible.

2.

The illumination of outdoor recreational activities shall stop at 11:00 p.m. for the remainder of the night. An activity should not begin earlier if it will normally exceed this time limit. Regardless, an activity already in progress from an earlier starting time may continue with illumination until no later than 11:30 p.m. Other lower level illumination may remain for safe spectator departure and security.

806.8.   Lighting Plan.

A.

Purpose. A lighting plan shall serve to prevent excessive lighting prior to installation of the fixtures and to avoid costly compliance remedies later.

B.

Submittal. A lighting plan shall accompany all applications for site development plan approval of development and redevelopment of nonresidential projects, multi-family dwelling residential projects, and common improvements in other residential projects, e.g., recreational facilities. When these regulations require a lighting plan but the project does not require a site development plan, then the plan shall accompany the application for a building permit for electrical fixtures. Lighting plans shall provide enough information to determine the potential for direct illumination of outdoor lighting protected areas, spill illumination, and compliance with the Manatee County Public Works Standards for all lighting not exempted in Section 806.3.

C.

Contents of Lighting Plan.  

1.

Fixture Locations. A lighting plan shall show the horizontal position of the fixtures on the site.

2.

Fixture Detail. An inset drawing of a typical fixture shall show the directional controls, e.g., shields, reflectors, refractors, and lenses that will aim and limit the angle of illumination. The detail shall show the vertical angle of illumination that will determine the shielding angle.

3.

Fixture Height and Mounts. The plan shall show the height of the fixtures and describe the mounts, e.g., wall, pole, or canopy.

4.

Direct Illumination Plots. For each and every fixture, the lighting plan shall include a cross-section showing the following measurements (see Figure 8-3):

A = shielding angle of fixture

H = vertical distance from the ground to the bottom of the light source

E = vertical elevation difference between the bottom of the light source and ground level at P

LG = line along the oblique boundary between the illumination cone and the shielded area above it, i.e., the sight line between the light source and ground level at the edge of direct illumination

P = projection of the line LG onto the ground level, i.e., also the edge of direct illumination

D = horizontal distance from light source to P, calculated as follows:

D = (H + E)/tan a (tan = trigonometric tangent function)

Figure 8-3: Cross section in the vertical plane through a light fixture, pole, and grade

5.

Photometric Diagram.

a.

Any of the following conditions require that the Lighting Plan shall also include a Photometric Diagram prepared by a lighting engineer:

i.

A projection of direct illumination within ten (10) horizontal feet of the property line of outdoor lighting protected areas or a street.

ii.

A fixture within eighty (80) horizontal feet of the property line of outdoor lighting protected areas or a street.

iii.

A fixture higher than twenty (20) feet above ground level within six hundred (600) horizontal feet of the property line of outdoor lighting protected areas.

b.

The diagram shall plot foot-candles of illumination calculated:

i.

For the direction of the most illumination from the light sources;

ii.

For a height of five (5) feet above ground level;

iii.

To the nearest tenth (0.1) foot-candle; and

iv.

At horizontal grid intervals of ten (10) feet.

c.

The diagram shall cover a certain part of the affected street or property having the outdoor lighting protected area. Such part shall include the area within the circle formed with the light fixture at the center and the radius extending one hundred (100) feet into the affected street right-of-way or property of the protected area.

d.

The plotted levels of calculated illumination shall determine if the lighting will comply with the Measurable Spill Illumination Limits of this Section.

D.

Review. The Department Director shall review the Lighting Plan and determine compliance with this Section.

E.

Inspection. The Department Director shall inspect the installed lighting fixtures and determine compliance with this Section and the approved Lighting Plan.