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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinances - MC-06-879 - 01/09/2006 - zoning ordinance outdoor lighting regsORDINANCE NO. MC-06-879 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ARTICLE III OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF MCHENRY TO INCLUDE LIGHTING REGULATIONS IN THE CITY OF MCHENRY, ILLINOIS WHEREAS, the Mayor and City Council have determined that it is in the best interest of the health, safety and general welfare of the citizens of McHenry to enact lighting regulations in the City. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MCHENRY, MCHENRY COUNTY, ILLINOIS, AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. That Article III of the City of McHenry Zoning Ordinance is hereby amended by adding thereto Section N, Lighting Regulations, which language is attached hererto and incorporated herein as Exhibit A. SECTION 2. All Ordinances or parts thereof in conflict with the terms and provisions hereof are hereby repealed to the extent of such conflict. SECTION 3: This Ordinance shall be published in pamphlet form by and under the authority of the corporate authorities of the City of McHenry, McHenry County, Illinois. 1 SECTION 4: This Ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage, approval, and publication in pamphlet form as provided by law. PASSED THIS 9TH DAY OF JANUARY 1 - 2006. AYES: SANTI, GLAB, SCHAEFER, MURGATROYD, WIMMER, PETERSON, CONDON NAYS: NONE ABSTAINED: NONE ABSENT: NONE NOT VOTING: N APPROVED THIS 9TH DAY OF JANUARY 2006. )'LMAYOR ATTEST: c CIT CL RK 2 OUTDOOR LIGHTING A. PURPOSE AND INTENT The purpose and intent of this Section is to establish outdoor lighting standards which promote safety and security, encourage energy conservation, and reduce or eliminate light pollution, glare and light trespass. B. APPLICABILITY 1. To uses that operate during hours of darkness, where there is public assembly or navigation, including but not limited to the following uses: multi -family residential, commercial, industrial, office, business park, public -recreational and institutional. 2. Single-family residential shall be excluded from the provisions of this Section except where specifically stated. 3. Required lighting incorporated for other uses or locations as deemed necessary Zoning Administrator. 4. Glare -control requirements contained herein shall apply to all uses. C. EXEMPT LIGHTING 1. Emergency Lighting. All emergency lighting and traffic control lighting. 2. Single -Family Home Lighting. All single-family residential homes, except in the instance where glare and/or light trespass onto another property is apparent. 3. Recreational and Sports Lighting. Recreational and sports lighting, provided that glare and light trespass are minimized by shielding light fixtures or using other appropriate methods. 4. Temporary Lighting. The temporary use of low wattage or low voltage lighting for public festivals, celebrations and the observance of holidays, except where they create a hazard or nuisance from glare or light trespass. Temporary lighting shall be permitted for a maximum of ninety (90) days from the date of installation. 5. Public Right-of-Wgy Lighting. Street lights installed or maintained in a public right-of-way. D. PROHIBITED LIGHTING 1. Use of search lights, laser lighting or lights that pulse, flash, rotate or simulate motion for advertising or promotions. 2. All lighting that produces glare. 3. Lighting intended to serve more than one specific purpose, e.g. a building and parking lot. 4. Lighting deemed a public nuisance by the Zoning Administrator. E. LIGHTING REGULATIONS 1. General Regulations a. All outdoor lighting shall be shielded and aimed so that illumination is directed only to the areas designated for lighting. b. Light trespass from nonresidential development onto residential development and from multi -family residential onto single-family residential development shall not exceed one-half (.5) footcandles at the property line. c. Mounting heights of all lighting fixtures, except those fixtures existing as of the date of passage of this Section, shall not exceed thirty (30) feet in non-residential districts, and twenty-four (24) feet in residential districts. d. All luminaries shall be full cut-off fixtures. e. All lighting on a premises shall be of the same color. f. All outdoor lighting shall be turned off or reduced to minimum levels necessary for security purposes by 11:00 P.M. each night. This provision shall not apply to places of business or public venues that are open 24 hours. 2. Parking Lot Lighting Parking lot lighting shall be required for all new development and other pedestrian areas. a. A minimum of one and a half (1.5) footcandles and a maximum of ten (10) footcandles shall be maintained in a parking lot. b. Security lighting intended to light the perimeter of a property may include motion sensors. c. All parking lot lighting standards and luminaires used to illuminate the same premises shall be of the same design and color. 3. Building Lighting Lighting fixtures on buildings shall be full cutoff and located, aimed and shielded so that light is directed only onto the building surface. Ground mounted fixtures used to highlight a building shall shine upwards towards a building surface. Lighting fixtures shall not be directed toward adjacent streets or roads. 4. Additional Regulations Applicable To Gas Stations and Automobile Dealerships a. Gas/Automobile Service Stations. A maximum of forty (40) footcandles shall be permitted under the canopy of gas or automobile service stations. b. Automobile Dealerships. A maximum of thirty-five (35) footcandles shall be permitted anywhere in the lot of an automobile dealership, provided off -site glare and light pollution are minimized by shielding light fixtures or using other appropriate methods. F. LIGHTING PLANS REQUIRED A photometric grid shall be required for all new developments, excluding single- family. The location of all light standards and luminaries, and illumination levels in footcandles, shall be indicated within the site and at the property lines. A cut sheet of all types of proposed light standards and luminaries shall be provided, indicating the type of lighting to be used, the mounting height, cutoffs, and any other pertinent information as deemed necessary by the Zoning Administrator. G. EFFECTIVE DATEINONCONFORMITY PROVISIONS These provisions shall apply to all new lighting installations. All existing lighting not in compliance with the provisions of this Section shall be brought into compliance by June 1, 2007. DEFINITIONS Footcandle-A unit of light intensity stated in lumens per square foot and measurable with an illuminance meter or light meter. Full cutoff -A light fixture which cuts off all upward transmission of light and emits no luminous flux above the horizontal plane.. Glare -The sensation produced by lighting that causes an annoyance, discomfort or loss in visual performance in an observer with a direct line of sight to a light source and often results in visual impairment. Light Standard — The pole upon which a Lumnnaire is mounted. Light Trespass -Light projected or emitted by a lighting installation onto a property from a fixture not located on that property. Lmminaire-The complete lighting unit, including the lamp, the fixture and other parts. Mounting Height -The vertical distance between the lowest part of the luminaire and the ground surface directly below the luminaire. Outdoor Lighting -any artificial open-air lighting device, fixture, lamp or other similar device, permanently installed or portable, which is intended to provide illumination for either visibility or decorative effects. Photometric Grid -An outdoor lighting plan depicting illumination levels from all exterior light sources on a site. Temporary Lighting -Lighting installed with temporary wiring and operated for not more than ninety (90) days in any calendar year at any one consecutive time interval.