§ 17.27

Exterior lighting on private property within the city shall comply with the requirements of this chapter.

(Ord. No. 2010-265, § 3, 1-27-2010)

The purpose of this chapter is to provide standards for outdoor lighting in order to protect the suburban, semi-rural and rural character of the City of Calabasas from inappropriate levels of night lighting. It is this chapter's intent to encourage lower level illumination in the city, to institute lighting practices and systems that conserve energy, to provide for lighting that minimizes conflicts with wildlife movement, and to enhance the visibility of natural features during night-time hours. These goals are to be accomplished through the regulation of the types, kinds, construction, installation and use of outdoor electrically powered illuminating devices. Moreover, the purposes of this chapter are to be satisfied without significantly decreasing public safety and security, the utility of recreational spaces or interfering with business activities and economic productivity.

In general terms, the overall legislative intents of these regulations are (i) to minimize artificial light effect on the night sky, (ii) to provide for well designed commercial spaces with appropriate lighting levels, and (iii) to preserve the significance of darkness to the human and wildlife populations occupying the surrounding rural and semi-rural areas in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area vicinity.

(Ord. No. 2010-265, § 3, 1-27-2010)

This chapter shall apply to all new development proposals including:

A.

Applications for all new commercial, industrial, recreational and residential projects or other permitted uses under the development code;

B.

Lighting in parking lots, parking structures and areas of concentrated parking, including car dealerships;

C.

Private streets and driveways;

D.

Private roadway signs, security lighting, pedestrian sidewalks and bikeways; and

E.

Commercial and residential sports courts (e.g., tennis, basketball, and volleyball).

This chapter does not apply to public property (including city facilities, streets, and parks) or to retrofitting of existing lighting on residential homes (single-family and multifamily) and appurtenant yard landscaping unless an application is filed for a conditional use permit, site plan review or other new development permit subject to planning department review and approval. Residential lighting of sixty (60) watts or less shall not be subject to this chapter. Other specific exemptions are listed in Section 17.27.050. It is the intent of the city to establish a separate and distinct program to extend these standards to public road illumination and lighting at other public facilities.

(Ord. No. 2010-265, § 3, 1-27-2010)

General guidelines are provided to assist the public in designing lighting consistent with this chapter. When considering development proposals with prospective applicants for city permits and entitlements subject to this chapter, the following lighting related guidelines are to be incorporated into project designs to ensure conformance with this chapter:

A.

All outdoor light fixtures installed prior to November 20, 2002, the effective date of this chapter, and thereafter maintained upon private property used for commercial, industrial, recreational or residential purposes (including lighting along private roadways) should limit light trespass and glare through the use of shielding and directional lighting methods, including fixture location and height. Where feasible, exterior lighting pole heights should not exceed fifteen (15) feet in height. Pole heights should be the minimum necessary to achieve appropriate standards set forth in this chapter.

B.

Externally illuminated signs, advertising displays, billboards, and building identification signs should use lighting fixtures which illuminate downward and be fully shielded. These externally illuminated signs shall meet with the light levels set forth in Section 17.27.030(B)(2).

C.

By itself, low-pressure sodium lighting should not be used in outdoor light fixtures due to poor color rendition and the need by public safety personnel to identify color in nighttime environments. A combination of low-pressure sodium lighting and other type(s) of lighting, such as fluorescent light, may be used if color rendition can be maintained through such lighting combinations.

D.

Outdoor light fixtures used to illuminate landscaping, flags, statues, or any other objects mounted on a pole, pedestal, or platform should use a very narrow cone of light for the purpose of confining the light to the object of interest and minimize spill-light and glare. In addition, the lighting of these features and other monuments should meet with the light levels set forth in Section 17.27.030(B)(10).

E.

Light fixtures used for outdoor recreational facilities should be fully shielded except when shielding would cause impairment to the visibility required in the intended recreational activity. In such cases, partially shielded fixtures and directional lighting methods shall be utilized to limit light pollution, glare and light trespass to a reasonable level, as determined by the director, without diminishing the performance standards of the intended recreational activity. Illumination from recreational facility light fixtures shall be shielded to minimize glare extending toward roadways where impairment of the motorist vision might cause a hazard. The lighting of outdoor recreational facilities shall meet with the light levels set forth in Section 17.27.030(B)(7). Outdoor recreational facility lighting in designated scenic corridors should be avoided.

F.

All exterior lights and illuminated signs should be designed, located, installed and directed in such a manner as to prevent objectionable light at (and glare across) the property lines and vision impairing glare at any location on or off the property. No permanently installed lighting should blink or flash. All lighting fixtures should be appropriate in scale, intensity, and height for the architectural design and building uses proposed.

G.

Landscaping should be required in areas where plantings can reduce visible glare and enhance natural surroundings.

H.

Lighting fixtures located along roadways and parking lots should be fitted with glare shields or be cut-off type fixtures.

I.

The location of lighting fixtures along rural scenic corridor roadways should be consistent with adopted streetscape plans (where applicable) and shall be situated at intersections and corners to increase visibility of these sections of the roadway.

J.

Lighting fixtures intended for security purposes should be equipped with motion sensors.

K.

All design solutions requiring commercial light standards and poles over fifteen (15) feet in height should be redesigned to accommodate lower elevation poles.

L.

Exterior lighting within scenic corridor overlay zoning district should be limited to lighting types and levels that are necessary for safety and security.

M.

Exterior commercial lighting should have lighting controls such as photocells and other controls which l turn-off lighting during daylight hours.

N.

New single-family residential projects should be encouraged to install dimmers on both interior and exterior lighting fixtures.

(Ord. No. 2010-265, § 3, 1-27-2010)

The purpose of the following lighting standards is to provide staff and applicants guidance about appropriate lighting levels for a variety of land uses:

A.

The standards herein can be measured using an illuminance meter (light meter) by city staff or an agent with training in lighting measurements. Measurements shall be taken immediately outside the cone of illuminance below a fixture.

B.

Lighting design engineers shall use the following maximum thresholds in developing photometric plans for new developments. Some flexibility in final lighting design values should be permitted, but in general, the following values should be considered illumination limits:

1.

Roadway Lighting. Lighting for roadways shall provide adequate illumination for safe and efficient vehicular travel. Roadway lighting fixtures shall either be equipped with glare shields or be a high cut-off type of fixture. Lighting of roadways categorized as scenic corridors or identified as wildlife corridors on Figure IV-1 in the General Plan shall be of a minimal level. Fixtures shall be shielded to prevent glare. The following standards should be considered the maximum average lighting values for roadways in these areas. The pedestrian intensity of use values cited below are ordinal scale measures (not quantified) and are intended only to be relative measures of intensity of use. No specific quantities (such as pedestrian

counts) are associated with these ordinal measures. Applicability of standards to various pedestrian levels shall be made by the review authority on a case by case basis.

Scenic or wildlife corridors and developments with few nighttime pedestrians:

Developments with frequent moderately heavy nighttime pedestrian activity:

Developments with heavy nighttime vehicular and pedestrian traffic:

2.

Externally Lighted Roadway Signs. The lighting of roadway signs shall be limited to a level that allows motorists to quickly and easily recognize the sign type and message. The following standards are the maximum horizontal illuminance values for externally lighted roadways.

Rural areas and scenic corridor areas without lighting or areas with very low light levels:

Footcandles on sign 20

Areas with small commercial developments and lighted roadways:

Footcandles on sign 40

Areas with high street lighting levels and brightly lighted signs:

Footcandles on sign 80

3.

Parking Lot. The lighting for parking lots shall be to a level that provides for the safe movement of vehicles and pedestrians. Parking lot lighting fixtures shall either be equipped with glare shields or be of a high cut-off type. Lighting fixture standard heights shall not be in excess of what is necessary to meet the recommended lighting levels. Lighting poles shall not exceed fifteen (15) feet in height. Decorative standards consistent with neighborhood architecture and adopted design and streetscape plans shall be employed in lighting plans. The following standards are the maximum average lighting values for parking lots:

Footcandles on parking surface 0.2 Uniform Ratio (maximum to minimum) 20:1

4.

Parking Garages. The following standards are considered maximum average lighting values for parking garages, except that the top level of parking garages should be no greater than is necessary to ensure pedestrian safety and visibility:

5.

Security Lighting. If security lighting is located in an area where it is not continuously required y, fixtures shall be equipped with motion sensors. The following standards are maximum average lighting values for security lighting in large open areas:

6.

Pedestrian Sidewalks and Bikeways. The lighting for pedestrian sidewalks and bikeways shall be to a level that increases pathway visibility and the safety of pedestrians. The following standards are the maximum average lighting values for pedestrian sidewalks and bikeways in these areas.

Scenic and wildlife corridors and developments with few nighttime pedestrians:

Footcandles on pavement 0.2

Intermediate—Medium-sized residential and business developments with frequent moderately heavy nighttime pedestrian activity:

Footcandles on pavement 0.6

Developments with heavy nighttime vehicular and pedestrian traffic:

Footcandles on pavement 1.0

7.

Sports and Recreation Areas. The lighting of sports and recreation areas shall be to a level that allows for clear and accurate visibility of all elements of the activity. High uniformity and low glare shall permit adequate play visibility. Lighting fixtures within these areas shall be correctly aimed to provide maximum task illuminance while limiting glare and light trespass. These lighting fixtures shall be adequately shielded to prevent glare from extending into surrounding properties. Sports and recreation lighting shall be turned off by eleven p.m. Frequently used lighted recreational facilities should not be located in

residential neighborhoods but should, whenever possible, be located in areas buffered from such neighborhoods by open space, institutional, industrial, or commercial uses. The following standards are considered the maximum average lighting values for sports and recreation area lighting.

Baseball and softball:

Basketball:

Football and soccer:

Roller hockey:

Tennis:

Volleyball:

8.

Service/Gas Stations. The lighting of service/gas stations shall be to a level that provides customers with a safe and secure environment while limiting glare under canopy areas. Glare to adjacent roadways shall be reduced by either limiting the

visibility of lighting fixtures through the use of shields or by reducing the illuminance to the levels set forth herein. The following standards are the maximum average lighting values for a service/gas station.

Pump island area:

Footcandles on pavement 5.0

Service areas:

Footcandles on pavement 2.0

9.

Auto Dealerships. The lighting of car dealerships should provide lighting levels that evenly disperse light over display lots. Lighting programs for dealerships should be designed to attract customers to the vehicles without producing excessive glare to adjacent roadways and surroundings. Auto dealership display lighting shall be turned off (except for motion sensor security lighting) by eleven p.m. Fixtures located in inventory lots shall provide adequate levels for inspection of the vehicles while minimizing glare. Lighting levels for car dealerships shall be separated into three distinct categories:

a.

Illumination for display should be concentrated around building frontage and sales entry areas. Display lighting shall be limited to no more than thirty (30) vehicles. Display areas should also be proportionate to facility size.

b.

Inventory lots are designed for the storage of automobile sales inventory. These lots shall occupy no more than forty (40) percent of the total outdoor vehicle parking lot area.

c.

Storage lots shall be designed to accommodate the remainder of a dealership's vehicle inventory (i.e., vehicles that are not within the display or inventory lots). Storage lots shall form over fifty (50) percent of the parking area for an automobile dealership.

The following standards are the maximum average values for auto dealerships.

Display/advertising area:

Inventory and entrance/driveways:

Storage lots:

Footcandles on pavement 2.0 Uniform Ratio (maximum to minimum) 5:1

10.

Monuments (e.g., flags, statues, or other objects mounted on a pedestal, platform or pole). The monument lighting shall provide levels that sufficiently preserve the visibility of the physical characteristics of the monument. Lighting fixtures shall either be shielded or be of a cut-off type to prevent glare from intruding on the public right-of-way or adjacent properties. The following standards are considered the maximum average lighting values for lighting monuments:

Footcandles on vertical target 5

(Ord. No. 2010-265, § 3, 1-27-2010)

Submission Contents. The applicant for any project subject to this chapter shall submit (as part of the application for permit) evidence that the proposed project will comply with this Code. The submission shall contain but shall not be limited to the following:

A.

Plans indicating the lighting location, and the type of illuminating devices, fixtures, lamps, supports, reflectors, and other devices to be installed;

B.

Photographs or other renderings and photometric data of the illuminating devices, fixtures, lamps, supports, reflectors, and other devices to be installed; and other descriptions which may include, manufacturer catalog cuts and drawings (including cross sections where required);

C.

Photometric plan illustrating the model values produced by the designed lighting.

(Ord. No. 2010-265, § 3, 1-27-2010)

A.

All commercial outdoor light fixtures legally installed prior to November 20, 2002, prior to the effective date of this chapter, are exempt from this chapter. However any replacement of outdoor commercial light fixtures shall comply with this chapter.

B.

All residential (single and multifamily) outdoor light fixtures legally installed prior to November 20, 2002, the effective date of this chapter, are exempt from of this chapter. Any replacement of outdoor light fixtures on residential properties shall not be required to comply with this chapter unless an application for a planning approval is requested consistent with Section 17.27.015.

C.

All outdoor light fixtures producing light directly by the combustion of fossil fuels, such as kerosene lanterns or gas lamps.

D.

Construction or emergency lighting.

E.

Signs of the type constructed of translucent materials and wholly illuminated from within are exempt from the shielding requirement.

F.

Holiday lighting.

G.

Exterior lighting for a temporary activity with a temporary use permit approved by the department.

(Ord. No. 2010-265, § 3, 1-27-2010)

This chapter is not intended to prevent the use of any design, material or method of installation not specifically proscribed herein.

(Ord. No. 2010-265, § 3, 1-27-2010)

A variance from the requirements of this chapter shall be in compliance with Section 17.62.080 of this development code.

(Ord. No. 2010-265, § 3, 1-27-2010)

Appeals shall be made pursuant to Chapter 17.74 et seq. and within the times set forth therein for the filing of such appeals.

(Ord. No. 2010-265, § 3, 1-27-2010)

The director is hereby empowered and directed to administer and enforce the provisions of this chapter.

(Ord. No. 2010-265, § 3, 1-27-2010)

17.27.100 - Violations and penalties.

A.

Violation of any provision of this section shall be and is hereby declared to be unlawful and a public nuisance. Any violation of any provision of this chapter shall be subject to summary, administrative or judicial abatement of the nuisance by the city, and be subject to fines, penalties, fees and costs imposed by the city or the court pursuant to the summary or administrative abatement procedures contained in this Code or any other provision of law.

B.

Enforcement and penalties shall be consistent with applicable sections of this Code.

C.

Every day that any such violation continues shall constitute a separate offense.

(Ord. No. 2010-265, § 3, 1-27-2010)

All remedies set forth in this chapter are cumulative and may be pursued separately or in combination. Provisions of this chapter are to be supplementary and complementary to all of the city ordinances, the city code, and state law.

(Ord. No. 2010-265, § 3, 1-27-2010)

The city recognizes that the eventual replacement of existing outdoor lighting fixtures that are not in conformity with the provisions of this chapter is as important as the prohibition of new outdoor lighting that would violate this chapter.

A.

Continuation of Nonconforming Commercial Outdoor Lighting. A legally established commercial lighting fixture that does not conform to the provisions of this chapter may continue to be used except that the lighting shall not be:

1.

Structurally altered to extend its useful life;

2.

Expanded, moved, or relocated; or

3.

Re-established after a business has been discontinued for ninety (90) days or more.

B.

Continuation of Nonconforming Residential Outdoor Lighting. No property with a legally established residential (single and multifamily) lighting fixture will be required to comply with this chapter unless there is a new development application submitted for the property. New development application means any of the applications listed in Section 17.15.015.

C.

Correction of Nonconformities Required. When an application is requested for a conditional use permit, site plan review or other development permit, the project site will be required to retrofit all exterior lighting in compliance with this chapter.

(Ord. No. 2010-265, § 3, 1-27-2010)

Chapter 17.28 - PARKING AND LOADING