§ 22.80

The Rural Outdoor Lighting District (ROLD) is established as a supplemental district for the rural areas of the County to promote and maintain dark skies for the health and enjoyment of individuals and wildlife by:

A.

Curtailing light pollution and preserving the nighttime environment.

B.

Permitting reasonable uses of outdoor lighting for nighttime safety, security, productivity, and enjoyment, while protecting the natural environment from the adverse effects of excessive outdoor nighttime lighting from artificial sources.

C.

Conserving energy and resources.

D.

Minimizing adverse offsite impacts of outdoor lighting, such as light trespass.

(Ord. 2019-0004 § 1, 2019.)

Specific terms used in this Chapter are defined in Section 22.14.180(R) of Division 2 (Definitions), under "Rural Outdoor Lighting District."

(Ord. 2022-0008 § 78, 2022; Ord. 2019-0004 § 1, 2019.)

22.80.030 - Applicability.

A.

General Applicability. This Chapter shall apply within the ROLD, as depicted on Figure 22.80.030-A: Rural Outdoor Lighting District, located at the end of this Chapter, to the following:

1.

Outdoor lighting for new land uses, structures, buildings, or developments.

2.

Outdoor lighting for all portions of any structure, building, or development following a major addition thereto.

3.

New street lights.

Abandoned uses that are resumed.

B.

Applicability to Existing Outdoor Lighting and Replacement Lighting.

1.

Except as otherwise provided in this Subsection B, outdoor lighting, including street lights that were lawfully existing on December 13, 2012, the effective date of this Chapter, may remain in their present condition without complying with this Chapter.

2.

Additions, upgrades, or replacements that are made to outdoor lighting, including street lights, that were lawfully existing on December 13, 2012, shall comply this Chapter, where applicable, except that when less than 50 percent of the outdoor lighting fixtures on a property are replaced for a commercial, industrial, or mixed use, Section 22.80.060.C (Automatic Controls) shall not apply. For purposes of this provision, the term replacement shall include the replacement of outdoor lighting, including street lights, due to damage or destruction.

3.

Outdoor lighting, other than street lights, located on properties in a Residential or Agricultural Zone that was lawfully existing at the time this Chapter became effective shall be removed or made to comply with this Chapter within six months after December 13, 2012, if such outdoor lighting causes light trespass, the determination of which shall be made by the Director, and in all other cases, shall be removed or made to comply with the applicable provisions of this Chapter within three years after the effective date of this Chapter.

4.

Outdoor lighting, other than street lights, located on properties in a zone other than a Residential or Agricultural Zone that was lawfully existing at the time this Chapter became effective shall be removed or made to comply with this Chapter within six months after December 13, 2012, if such outdoor lighting causes light trespass onto a property located in a Residential, Agricultural or Open Space Zone or onto the improved portion of any public right-of-way, as such determination is made by the Director.

(Ord. 2019-0004 § 1, 2019.)

Subject to Section 22.80.030 (Applicability), the following types of outdoor lighting shall be prohibited within ROLD:

A.

Drop-down lenses.

B.

Mercury vapor lights.

C.

Ultraviolet lights.

D.

Searchlights, laser lights, or other outdoor lighting that flashes, blinks, alternates, or moves.

(Ord. 2019-0004 § 1, 2019.)

In addition to complying with the applicable provisions of Title 26 (Building Code) and Title 27 (Electrical Code) of the County Code, outdoor lighting within the ROLD, other than street lights, shall be subject to the following requirements:

A.

Lighting Allowance. For properties located in a Residential, Agricultural, Open Space, or Watershed Zone, outdoor light fixtures installed above 15 feet in height shall have a manufacturer's maximum output rating of no greater than 400 lumens.

B.

Light Trespass. Outdoor lighting shall cause no unacceptable light trespass.

C.

Shielding. Outdoor lighting shall be fully shielded.

D.

Maximum Height.

1.

The maximum height for an outdoor light fixture, as measured from the finished grade to the top of the fixture, shall be as follows:

a.

20 feet for a property located in a Residential, Agricultural, Open Space, or Watershed Zone.

b.

35 feet for a property located in an Industrial Zone.

c.

30 feet for property located in any other zone.

2.

Notwithstanding Subsection D.1, above, the height of any new outdoor light fixture used for an outdoor recreational activity area, regardless of the zone, shall be the minimum height necessary to illuminate the activity area, but in no event shall exceed 75 feet; and

3.

Notwithstanding Subsections D.1 and D.2, above, the Director may approve an outdoor light fixture with a height higher than as otherwise permitted by these subsections through a Ministerial Site Plan Review (Chapter 22.186) application, if the applicant demonstrates that a higher light fixture would reduce the total number of light fixtures needed at the involved site, or would reduce the light trespass of the outdoor lighting.

E.

Maintenance. Outdoor lighting shall be maintained in good repair and function as designed, with shielding securely attached to the outdoor lighting.

(Ord. 2019-0004 § 1, 2019.)

22.80.060 - Additional Standards for Commercial, Industrial, and Mixed Uses.

In addition to complying with the applicable provisions of Section 22.80.050 (General Development Standards) outdoor lighting located on a property with a commercial, industrial, or mixed use shall be subject to the following requirements:

A.

Building Entrances. All building entrances shall have light fixtures providing light with an accurate color rendition so that persons entering or exiting the building can be easily recognized from the outside of the building.

B.

Hours of Operation.

1.

Outdoor lighting shall be turned off between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and sunrise every day, unless the use on the involved property operates past 10:00 p.m., and then the outdoor lighting shall be turned off within one hour after the use's operation ends for the day. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the use on the involved property requires outdoor lighting between 10:00 p.m. and sunrise every day for safety or security reasons, outdoor lighting shall be allowed during these hours, but only if:

a.

Fully-shielded motion sensors are used to turn the outdoor lighting on after 10:00 p.m., and these sensors turn the outdoor lighting off automatically no more than 10 minutes after the involved area has been vacated; or

b.

Where the use is commercial or industrial, at least 50 percent of the total lumen levels for the outdoor lighting are reduced, or 50 percent of the total number of outdoor light fixtures are turned off, between 10:00 p.m. and sunrise.

2.

Exemption from Hours of Operation. Outdoor lighting shall be exempt from the hours of operation requirements of Subsection B.1, above, if such lighting:

a.

Is required by Title 26 (Building Code) for steps, stairs, walkways, or points of ingress and egress to buildings; or

b.

Is governed by an approved discretionary permit which specifically provides for different hours of operation.

C.

Automatic Controls. Outdoor lighting shall use automatic control devices or systems to turn the outdoor lighting off so as to comply with the applicable hours of operation requirements of Subsection B.1, above. These devices or systems shall have backup capabilities so that, if power is interrupted, the schedule programmed into the device or system is maintained for at least seven days.

(Ord. 2019-0004 § 1, 2019.)

In addition to complying with the applicable requirements of Section 22.80.050 (General Development Standards), outdoor light fixtures, when used to illuminate outdoor recreational activity areas, shall be mounted, aimed, and fully shielded so that their light beams fall onto said areas in such a way so as to prevent unacceptable light trespass onto surrounding areas or properties, and shall use high pressure sodium or metal halide lamps as their preferred lighting source.

(Ord. 2019-0004 § 1, 2019.)

In addition to complying with the applicable requirements of Section 22.80.050 (General Development Standards) outdoor lighting for new signs, including outdoor advertising signs, business signs, and roof and freestanding signs, shall comply with the following:

A.

The outdoor lighting shall be fully shielded;

B.

When the signs use externally-mounted light fixtures, they shall be mounted to the top of the sign and shall be oriented downward; and

C.

Externally-mounted bulbs or lighting tubes used for these signs shall not be visible from any portion of an adjoining property or public right-of-way unless such bulbs or tubes are filled with neon, argon, krypton, or other self-illuminating substance.

(Ord. 2019-0004 § 1, 2019.)

So as to maintain the dark skies characteristics of the ROLD to the maximum extent possible, street lights in the district shall be prohibited except where necessary at urban cross sections with sidewalks, curbs, and gutters or at intersections and driveways on County roads, where the Director of Public Works finds that street lights will alleviate traffic hazards, improve traffic flow, and/or promote safety and security of pedestrians and vehicles based on Public Works' highway safety lighting standards. Where street lights are installed in the district, they shall:

A.

Be placed at the maximum distance apart, with the minimum lumens allowable pursuant to Public Works' highway safety lighting standards, as determined by the Director of Public Works;

B.

Utilize full-cutoff (flat glass lens) luminaries so as to deflect light away from adjacent parcels; and

C.

Be designed to prevent off-street illumination and glare.

(Ord. 2019-0004 § 1, 2019.)

The following outdoor lighting shall be exempt from the provisions of this Chapter:

A.

Outdoor lighting for a public facility operated by the Sheriff's Department, Probation Department, or similar department or entity that keeps incarcerated persons, provided such lighting is needed for the security or operation of the facility.

B.

Temporary outdoor lighting, which is outdoor lighting that does not persist beyond 60 consecutive days or more than 120 days per year.

C.

Outdoor lighting used in or around swimming pools or water features for safety purposes.

D.

Outdoor lighting required for compliance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.

E.

Outdoor lighting for industrial facilities and sites, including but not limited to, rail yards, maritime shipyards and docks, piers and marinas, chemical and petroleum processing plants, and aviation facilities, where such lighting is needed for safety reasons.

F.

Outdoor lighting for outdoor theme parks, fairs, or carnivals.

==> picture [300 x 233] intentionally omitted <==

FIGURE 22.80.030-A: RURAL OUTDOOR LIGHTING DISTRICT

(Ord. 2019-0004 § 1, 2019.)

Chapter 22.82 - HISTORIC DISTRICTS