HomeMy WebLinkAboutFINAL ORDINANCE NO. 97-017CITY OF LAKE ELMO
WASHINGTON COUNTY, MINNESOTA
ORDINANCE 97-17
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 1350 OF THE 1997 MUNICIPAL CODE REALTING
TO LIGHTING, GLARE CONTROL AND EXTERIOR LIGHTING STANDARDS
Section 1. Amendment: Section 1350 of the Lake Elmo Municipal Code is hereby amended and shall
read as follows:
Section 1350 — Lighting. Glare Control. and Exterior Lighting Standards.
1350.01 Purpose:
The purpose of this section is to regulate the spillover of light and glare on rural areas of the community,
pedestrians, and land uses in the proximity of the light source. With respect to motor vehicles in particular,
safety considerations form the basis of the regulations contained herein.
1350.02 Definitions:
As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following
meanings:
A. Direct Light Direct Light means light emitted directly from a lamp, off a
reflector or through a refractor of a luminaire.
B. Fixture Fixture means the assembly that holds the lamp. It may include
an assembly housing, a mounting bracket or pole socket, a lamp
holder, a ballast, a reflector, or mirror, and a refractor or lens.
C. Foot — Candle Foot -Candle means an illuminance equal to one lumen per square
foot.
D. Full Cutoff Luminaire Full Cutoff luminate means a luminare that allows no direct light
emissions higher than fifteen (15) degrees below a horizontal
plane through the luminaire's lowest light -emitting part.
E. Glare Glare means direct light emitted from a luminare that causes
reduced vision or momentary blindness.
F. Illuminance Illuminance means the level of light measured at a surface.
G. Lamp Lamp means the component of a luminare that produces the light.
H. Light Trespass Light trespass means light emitted by a luminaire that shines
beyond the boundaries of the property on which the luminaire is
located.
Lumen Lumen means a unit of measurement of the light emitted from a
source.
Luminaire Luminaire means the complete lighting system, including the
lamp and the fixture.
K. Permanent Outdoor Permanent Outdoor Luminaire means any luminaire or system of
Luminaire luminaires that is outdoors and that is intended to be used for
seven (7) days or longer.
L. State Funds State Funds means any bond revenues or any money appropriated
or allocated by the Legislature.
1350.03 Exterior Lighting Plan
At the time any exterior light is installed or modified for projects, an exterior lighting plan shall be
submitted to the City in order to determine whether the purpose and requirements of this Section have been
met. This plan will be prepared by a certified architect, landscape architect, or lighting designer.
Subd. 1. Submittal Requirements.
The applicant must provide a plan that identifies the location, size and type of luminaire, and show how
the applicant intends to comply with this section. A photometric plan of the site and fixture data sheet
must be submitted with a site plan for office, commercial, or any type of industrial project in order to
determine the effect of the luminaire on surrounding properties. The applicant shall provide the fixture
data sheet for residential lighting proposals.
1350.04 Prohibited Lighting
Subd. 1. Public Roadway or Street
No Lights shall be placed in view of any public roadway or street so that its beams or rays are directed
at any portion of the roadway when light is of such brilliance and so positioned as to impair the vision
of the driver of any motor vehicle.
Subd 2. Luminaires
Except for "full cutoff luminaries" as defined in this section, no luminaires are allowed which do not
meet the standards outlined in this section
Illustration
Subd 3. Lighting in All Zoning Districts
No direct or sky -reflected glare, whether from floodlights or from high temperature processes such as
combustion or welding shall be directed into any adjoining property.
Subd 4. Bare Light Bulbs
Bare light bulbs shall not be permitted in view of adjacent property or public right-of-way.
Subd. 5. Light Cast
No light or combination of lights, which cast light on a public street, shall exceed one (1) foot-candle
meter reading as measured from the centerline of the street, nor shall any light or combination of lights,
which cast light on residential property, exceed four -tenths (0.4) foot-candles.
1350.05 Minimum Standards.
Subd. 1. Minimum Standards for Lighting with a Total Cutoff Angle of Greater than 90 Degrees.
When a luminaire has a total cutoff of an angle greater than ninety (90) degrees (see illustration below),
the maximum illumination and the maximum permitted luminaire height is designated below. This
standard is designed to ensure that no light is emitted above a horizontal plane parallel to the ground.
In order to achieve a total cutoff at ninety (90) degrees, such a luminaire will emit maximum (peak)
candle power at an angle not exceeding seventy-five (75) degrees. This angel is formed by the line at
which maximum candlepower is emitted for the light source and a line perpendicular to the ground
from the light source.
Use and District
Maximum Permitted Illumination at
Maximum Permitted Height
a Point Six Feet Above the Ground
(in foot candles)
All Residential Districts
.30
Fifteen (15) feet
All Non -Residential Districts
1.50
Twenty (20) feet
Illustration
Subd. 2. Minimum Standards for Lighting with a Total Cutoff Angle of Less than 90 Degrees.
When a luminaire has a total cutoff of light at an angle less than ninety (90) degrees and is located so
that the bare light bulb, lamp, or light source is completely shielded from the direct view of an observer
five (5) feet above the ground at the point where the cutoff angle intersects the ground, the maximum
permitted illumination and the maximum permitted height is illustrated below. This type of light fixture
may be taller and provide greater illumination at the property line than the one specified above, because
the design of this fixture ensures that its light source will not be directly visible off -site.
Use and District
Maximum Permitted Illumination at
Maximum Permitted Height
a Point Six Feet Above the Ground
(in foot candles)
All Residential Districts
1.00
Fifteen (15) feet
All Non -Residential Districts
3.00
Thirty (30) feet
Illustration
Subd. 3. Minimum Standards for Lighting on Agricultural Lands.
When a permanent outdoor luminare is placed on agricultural land, only Mercury lamps shall be
permitted.
Subd.4. Attachments:
Attachment entitled "Good Neighbor Outdoor Lighting" is on file in the Building Official's office, and
can be found in Appendix A of this Code. This is the guide to be used for residential lighting.
Section 2. Effective Date: This ordinance shall become effective upon its passage and publication
accord g to law.
Wyn Jo , M r
Attest
Mary Mary�ffner�, lerk/Administrator
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Published in the Stillwater Gazette on the 16 day of f , 1997.