Chapter 24.16 — OUTDOOR LIGHTING REQUIREMENTS

Note: Prior ordinance history: Ord. 826.

• A. The outdoor lighting requirements are intended to minimize light pollution and light trespass, and preserve the night-time environment in the city by:

  1. Encouraging the use of electrical engineers or lighting professionals to design outdoor lighting systems.

  2. Requiring that all lighting products are designed to be energy efficient and utilize technology to control the lighting in a manner to meet the lighting design criteria of this chapter.

  3. Implementing guidelines that define the characteristics of the lighting fixture distribution that reduces light pollution and preserve the night-time environment.

• B. The chapter is not intended to prevent the use of any design, products or method of installation. The director may approve any such proposed alternate if the design meets the intent of the chapter to provide high quality lighting performance, glare control, reduced light trespass to preserve the night-time environment.

• (Ord. 1272 § 1, 2014)

• A. All luminaries with total lamp mean lumens above four thousand shall be full-cutoff type and meet the requirements illustrated in Figure 24.16-1.

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City of Palm Desert, CA

ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION

§ 24.16.015

§ 24.16.015

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Figure 24.16-1

• B. Commercial and Residential Zones. Lighting sources (lamps) approved for commercial and residential zones are light emitting diodes (LED), light emitting plaza (LEP), compact fluorescent lamps (CFL), multifaceted reflector halogen lamps (MR) and incandescent lamps. High pressure sodium (HPS) lamps are prohibited.

• C. Lighting sources approved for public or municipal outdoor recreation facilities are light emitting diodes (LED), light emitting plaza (LEP) and metal halide (MH). High pressure sodium (HPS) lamps are prohibited.

• D. Low pressure sodium lighting is not approved.

• E. Public or Municipal Outdoor Recreational Facilities. All lighting for field sports shall conform to the requirements of Section 24.16.040 Light trespass. Sports lighting fixtures shall us the latest technology to control spill light from the lighting fixture as illustrated in Figure 24.16-2.

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City of Palm Desert, CA § 24.16.015

PALM DESERT CODE

§ 24.16.015

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Figure 24.16-2

• F. Outdoor recreational facility lighting for sports courts (tennis, basketball, skating, volleyball, etc.) shall use full-cutoff optics. The maximum pole heights for sport courts shall be thirty feet.

• G. Pedestrian scale post top luminaries with total lamp lumens of less than six thousand may be non-cutoff if the fixture meets the requirements to prevent direct view of the lamp source by shielding the source with louvers and/or opaque lens. Internal fixture reflector with a clear lens that distributes the light out of the fixture in a manner that promotes glare control may also be allowed. Refractors are not recommended to shield the lamp source.

• H. Low level lighting (bollards, step lights etc.) with total lamp lumens of less than three thousand five hundred may be non-cutoff if the fixture meets the requirements to prevent direct view of the lamp source by shielding the source with louvers and/or opaque lens. Internal fixture reflector with a clear lens that distributes the light out of the fixture in a manner that promotes glare control may also be allowed.

• I. All outdoor lighting mounting heights shall conform with the following:

  1. Residential Zones. Maximum of eighteen feet height in residential zones. The lamp lumens shall be fifteen thousand lumens or less and provide for full-cutoff features.

  2. Commercial Zones. Maximum of thirty feet high in commercial zones. Total lamp lumens shall be one hundred thirty thousand lumens or less with full-cutoff fixtures.

• J. Luminaries used primarily for walkway lighting (pedestrian scale lighting) shall be mounted no higher than ten feet above grade.

• K. Wall-Mounted Lighting. Residential wall-mounted lighting luminaries with total lamp lumens of less than one thousand eight hundred may be non-cutoff if the fixture meets the requirements to prevent direct view of the lamp source by shielding the source with louvers and/or opaque lens. Internal fixture reflector with a clear lens that distributes the light out of the fixture in a manner that promotes glare control may also be allowed. Refractors are not recommended to shield the lamp source.

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City of Palm Desert, CA

ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION

§ 24.16.015

§ 24.16.020

• L. Commercial wall-mounted lighting luminaries with total lamp lumens of less than fourteen lumens per inch (total size of the wall light fixture face in inches) but not exceeding four thousand lumens total may be non-cutoff if the fixture meets the requirements to prevent direct view of the lamp source by shielding the source with louvers and/or opaque lens. Internal fixture reflector with a clear lens that distributes the light out of the fixture in a manner that promotes glare control may also be allowed. Refractors are not recommended to shield the lamp source.

• M. Security pole and wall pack lighting fixtures in commercial and residential zones shall only be allowed if the fixture lumens and shielding meet the requirements outlined. The following types of fixtures are not approved in any application.

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Figure 24.16-3

• N. The maximum Color Correlated Temperature (CCT) for all outdoor lighting shall be limited to four thousand Kelvin.

• (Ord. 1272 § 1, 2014; Ord. 1382 § 3, 2022)

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City of Palm Desert, CA

PALM DESERT CODE

§ 24.16.020

§ 24.16.025

• A. Lighting used to highlight architectural features, landscape, building façades, fountains, etc., shall be manufactured for the intended uses and shall be adjusted and/or aimed during the night to insure light is focused on the designated object.

• B. Lighting luminaries intended to be directional shall be provided with sources less than four thousand lumens and must be furnished with shields, louvers and/or lenses to insure that the direct view of the lamp source is reduced. An internal fixture reflector system with a clear lens that distributes in a specific direction is designed to promote glare control. Refractors are not recommended to shield the lamp source.

• C. Landscape lighting fixtures intended to be directional onto landscape features shall be provided with sources less than one thousand lumens and must be furnished with shields, louvers and/or lenses to insure that the direct view of the lamp source is reduced.

• (Ord. 1272 § 1, 2014)

• A. Purpose. The city does not encourage the use of street lighting. However, the purpose of this section is to establish a set of guidelines with which to regulate the installation, operation and maintenance of overhead street lighting in the city. The city seeks to make provisions for street lighting that will be beneficial to city residents, and to provide for this lighting in an orderly, efficient and equitable manner. This section serves to establish a uniform standard for location of lights within the city.

• B. General Requirements. All street lighting installed in or for the benefit of a public right-ofway shall conform to the following:

  1. All lighting standards, fixtures and lamp sources shall be established in accordance with specifications determined by the city engineer.

  2. All lighting standards in the public right-of-way will be installed and maintained by the Southern California Edison Company (SCE) per SCE Schedule LS-1, unless otherwise approved by the city engineer.

• C. Luminaire and Lamp Requirements.

  1. High pressure sodium (HPS) street lighting in single-family residential districts is prohibited.

  2. Light emitting diodes (LED) street lighting in single-family residential districts shall use nine thousand five hundred lumens or less and shall be full-cutoff luminaries with house side shields.

  3. Pedestrian scale post top luminaries in single-family residential districts with total lamp lumens of less than four thousand five hundred may be non-cutoff if the fixture meets the requirements to prevent direct view of the lamp source by shielding the source with louvers and/or opaque lens. Internal fixture reflector with a clear lens that distributes the light out of the fixture in a manner that promotes glare control may also be allowed. Refractors are not recommended to shield the lamp source. House side shields may be required to reduce the light directed towards residences.

• D. Street Lighting Locations.

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City of Palm Desert, CA

ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION

§ 24.16.025

§ 24.16.030

1. Residential street lighting shall be positioned at intersections.

2. Residential street lighting shall be positioned mid-block on streets greater than eight hundred feet in length.

3. Residential street lighting shall be positioned at the end of cul-de-sacs when the street is greater than three hundred feet in length.

4. Commercial and industrial streets shall have lighting positioned at intersections.

5. Other locations and/or spacing of lighting may be required by the city engineer.

6. Locations other than intersections where the lighting will provide an aid to traffic or public safety may be required by the city engineer.

• (Ord. 1272 § 1, 2014; Ord. 1382 § 4, 2022)

• A. Applicants for any project that requires approval for outdoor lighting systems shall include a site plan, fixture cuts and a photometric plan illustrating that the proposed outdoor lighting system complies with the requirements outlined in the chapter. The submission shall contain, but not be limited to, four complete sets of the following:

  1. A photometric lighting plan prepared by the project engineer showing point-by-point lighting levels for the entire lot and ten feet beyond the project property lines. The point by point photometric plan shall provide lighting levels at a maximum of ten-foot intervals. Photometric calculations shall use a .85 light loss factor for all photometric plans.

  2. Photometric calculations providing the following statistics as illustrated in Figure 24.16-4:

     • a. Average to minimum;

     • b. Maximum to minimum;

     • c. Average foot-candles;

     • d. Minimum foot-candles.

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Figure 24.16-4

3. Photometric statistics representing the lighting and calculations in an area equal to eighty percent of the useable parking area, as shown in Figure 24.16-5:

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City of Palm Desert, CA

PALM DESERT CODE

§ 24.16.030

§ 24.16.035

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Figure 24.16-5

• B. Submittal and drawings shall be signed by a licensed professional engineer or architect taking responsibility for the lighting design. The name and company information for the plan preparer shall be clearly stated on the submittal drawings.

• C. A description of the outdoor light fixtures including a manufacturer cut sheet, product specifications and shielding information for each lighting fixture used shall be included in the submittal package.

• (Ord. 1272 § 1, 2014)

• A. The performance of the lighting submittal will be evaluated based on the following criteria when the lamp source is LED or LEP.

  1. Minimum foot-candles shall be one foot-candle.

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City of Palm Desert, CA

ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION

§ 24.16.035

§ 24.16.040

2. Average maintained light level of one foot-candle to three foot-candles.

3. Average to minimum uniformity ratio shall not exceed 4:1.

4. Maximum to minimum uniformity ratio shall not exceed 16:1.

• B. High pressure sodium (HPS) lamps are prohibited.

• C. The illumination levels at exits, entrances, loading zones, and collector lanes shall be approximately twice the average illumination of the adjacent parking area or the adjoining street, whichever is greater.

• D. Building exit illumination levels shall meet the foot-candle requirements established by the California Electrical Code and all associated building codes.

• (Ord. 1272 § 1, 2014; Ord. 1382 § 5, 2022)

• A. The requirements to minimize the off-site illumination onto adjoining properties shall include lower pole heights, glare shields and repositioning lighting poles.

• B. The photometric plan provided for the project shall illustrate the off-site foot-candles up to the point when 0.00 foot-candles is illustrated.

• C. Lighting poles shall not be positioned at the property line adjacent to residential properties.

• D. Provide lighting fixtures with internal house side shielding so that no more than one-tenth foot-candle is measured horizontally at the adjacent property lines.

• E. Private tennis courts will be required to meet off-site lighting requirements. Photometric lighting plans shall be provided for all private tennis court lighting systems.

• F. All building-mounted luminaries shall be a maximum of eighteen feet above ground to the luminaire when adjoining residential property lines and a maximum of twenty feet above ground in other areas around the building.

• G. Wall pack lighting fixtures shall meet full cut-off requirements and shall be included in all photometric lighting plans.

• H. Where the adjacent property is residential, all lighting shall be arranged so as to direct the light away from the adjacent property by providing materials, methods, and designs so that no more than 0.25 foot-candle is measured at five feet inside the adjacent property.

• I. Hillside lighting shall be designed with the following:

  1. Hillside lighting systems must be submitted with a carefully detailed photometric plan illustrating horizontal and vertical foot-candles and a written justification why hillside lighting should be allowed. Lighting plans shall be reviewed as part of a Hillside Development Plan as described in Title 25.

  2. Hillside lighting shall utilize light emitting diodes (LED) sources and be furnished with glare shields.

  3. Luminaries with total lamp lumens above sixteen thousand lumens shall not be used.

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City of Palm Desert, CA

PALM DESERT CODE

§ 24.16.040

§ 24.16.055

4. All hillside lighting shall be turned off no later than ten p.m. and remain off until the following evening.

• (Ord. 1272 § 1, 2014; Ord. 1355 § 11, 2020; Ord. 1382 § 6, 2022)

• A. All parking lot and building lighting systems shall meet the state of California Title 24 for outdoor lighting control requirements.

• B. On-premises advertising signs may be illuminated all night.

• C. Outdoor recreational facility sports lighting shall be turned off at ten p.m. with partial sports lighting remaining on until ten-thirty p.m. to allow participants to safely vacate the field.

• (Ord. 1272 § 1, 2014)

• A. Nonconformance. All outdoor light fixtures existing and legally installed prior to the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter are exempt from the requirements of this chapter, except that when existing luminaries are reconstructed or replaced, such reconstruction or replacement shall be in compliance with this chapter.

• B. Holiday Decorations. Lights used for holiday decorations are exempt from the requirements of this chapter and may be installed forty-five days prior to the holiday and removed thirty days after the holiday.

• C. American Flag Lighting. Lights used for illumination of flags as required by law are exempt from this chapter.

• (Ord. 1272 § 1, 2014)

• A. Temporary exemptions must be approved by the director prior to installation. Temporary lighting is required, but not limited to, parades, special civic or public events, special business events, grand openings of businesses, etc.

• B. Any individual, business and/or organization may submit a written request to the director for a temporary exemption from the requirements of this chapter. The request shall be made on a temporary use application along with the associated fee.

• C. The temporary lighting application shall include the following:

  1. Name, address, and telephone number of the applicant.

  2. Location of the outdoor light fixtures for which the exemption is requested.

  3. Use of the outdoor light fixtures involved.

  4. Duration of the requested exemption(s).

  5. Type(s) of outdoor lighting to be used including the lamp source, lumens, shielding and glare controls.

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City of Palm Desert, CA

ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION

§ 24.16.055

§ 24.16.060

6. Site plan illustrating the locations of all lighting equipment.

7. Written description and justification for the temporary lighting.

• D. The director shall have ten business days from the date of receipt of the "request for temporary exemption" to approve or disapprove the request. The applicant will be notified of the decision in writing.

• (Ord. 1272 § 1, 2014)

Advertising Display. Means advertising structures and signs used for outdoor advertising purposes; not including on-premises (exterior portable or interior) advertising signs.

Ambient Light. The general overall level of lighting in an area from lighting not subject to this chapter.

Brightness. Strength of the sensation that results from viewing surfaces from which the light comes to the eye.

Candela (cd). Unit of luminous intensity. One candela is one lumen per steradian. Formerly called the candle.

Candlepower. Luminous intensity expressed in candelas.

City Engineer. The city engineer of the city of Palm Desert or a representative(s) designated by the city engineer of the city of Palm Desert.

Contrast. The difference between the luminaire luminous brightness and the brightness of the surrounding area.

Decorative Lighting. Lighting products used for decorative effects versus lighting performance. Examples of decorative lighting include, but are not limited to, fountain lighting, lighting fixtures (pole, post or bollard style) creating a visual effect with low lumen output, led commercial outdoor string lighting, building wall sconce and chandelier lighting with low lumen lamp sources.

Director. The director of community development for the city of Palm Desert or a representative(s) designated by the director of the city of Palm Desert.

Disability Glare. Glare resulting in reduced visual performance and visibility. It is often accompanied by discomfort.

Discomfort Glare. Glare that produces discomfort, but does not necessarily diminish visual performance.

Fixture. The assembly that holds the lamp in a lighting system. It includes the elements designed to give light output control, such as a reflector (mirror) or refractor (lens), the ballast, housing, and the attachment parts.

Foot-candle. One foot-candle is one lumen per square foot. This simply means the amount of light which hits one square foot.

Full-Cutoff. Outdoor light fixtures shielded or constructed so that all of the light rays emitted by the fixture are projected below a horizontal plane passing through the lowest point on the fixture from which light is emitted. Drop or sag lensed type fixtures are not allowed. IESNA classification that describes a luminaire having a light distribution in which zero candela

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City of Palm Desert, CA § 24.16.060

PALM DESERT CODE

§ 24.16.060

intensity (visible light) occurs at or above an angle of ninety degrees above nadir. Additionally, the candela per one thousand lamp lumens does not numerically exceed one hundred (ten percent) at or above a vertical angle of eighty degrees above nadir. This applies to all lateral angles around the luminaire.

General Outdoor Lighting. All outdoor lighting used for, but not limited to, walkways, parking lots, equipment yards, outdoor security, outdoor retail or restaurant areas, automotive dealers (display areas only), assembly or repair areas, recreational facilities and similar applications where the use of the space or area requires accurate color rendition and light for ease of movement.

Glare. The lighting from a single or multiple lighting fixtures that causes one of the following conditions:

1. Produces sufficiently greater luminance (light) in an area to which the eyes are adapted to. This is known as discomfort glare.

2. Produces sufficiently greater luminance (light) in an area which causes visual performance loss and visibility. This is known as disability glare.

High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lamp. In a discharge lamp, the emitted energy (light) is produced by the passage of an electric current through a gas. High-intensity discharge includes mercury, metal halide, and high pressure sodium lamps. Other discharge lamps are LPS and fluorescent. Some such lamps have internal coatings to convert some of the ultraviolet energy emitted by the gas discharge into visual output.

High-Pressure Sodium (HPS) Lamp. A gas-discharge lamp that uses sodium in an excited state to produce light. There are two varieties of such lamps: low pressure and high pressure. Lowpressure sodium lamps are the most efficient electrical light sources, but their yellow light restricts applications to outdoor lighting such as street lamps. High-pressure sodium lamps have a broader spectrum of light than the low pressure, but still poorer color rendering than other types of lamps. Low pressure sodium lamps only give monochromatic yellow light and so inhibit color vision at night.

IESNA. Illuminating Engineering Society of North America.

Incandescent Lamp. Light is produced by a filament heated to a high temperature by electric current. These lamps include MR lamps, tungsten halogen lamps, PAR and R lamps. EISA 2007 set new performance requirements for certain common light bulbs, requiring that these bulbs become approximately twenty-five to thirty percent more efficient than the light bulbs by 2012-2014. Overall, the intent of this is to bring into the market more efficient light bulbs. Some new incandescent products could be introduced by the effective dates of the law, including a bulb by General Electric that will decrease the amount of energy required. Non-incandescent bulbs, such as compact fluorescent (CFL) and light emitting diodes (LED) already meet the Tier I standards introduced.

Induction Lighting. The internal electrode less lamp or induction light is a gas discharge lamp in which the power required to generate light is transferred from outside the lamp envelope to the gas inside via an electric or magnetic field, in contrast with a typical gas discharge lamp that uses internal electrodes connected to the power supply by conductors that pass through the lamp envelope.

Installed. Any legal installation of outdoor light fixtures after the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter.

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City of Palm Desert, CA

ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION

§ 24.16.060

§ 24.16.060

Light Emitting Diode (LED) Source. An electronic semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current passes through it. They are considerably more efficient than traditional light bulbs and provide for long lamp life. LEDs are used in many applications such as flat-screen video displays, indoor and exterior lighting fixtures.

Light Pollution. An unwanted effect of manmade outdoor lighting that contributes to the effects of sky glow, light trespass, and/or glare.

Light Trespass. An undesirable condition in which exterior light is cast where it is not wanted.

Lumen. A unit measurement of a light bulb, arc tube or light emitting diodes (LED) light output expressed as initial lumens or lumen output.

Luminaire. A complete lighting unit consisting of a lamp or lamps and the parts designed to distribute the light, to position and protect the lamp(s), and to connect the lamp(s) to the power supply. (Also referred to as fixture.) The complete lighting unit, including the lamp, the fixture, and other parts.

Mercury Lamp. The mercury vapor lamp is a high intensity discharge lamp. It uses an arc through vaporized mercury in a high pressure tube to create very bright light directly from its own arc. Mercury lamps are not approved in the city of Palm Desert.

Metal-Halide Lamp. This type of lamp is also known as an MH lamp. It is an HID lamp (high intensity discharge), which means it provides most of its light from the electric arc within a small discharge tube. It is becoming increasingly popular due to its good quality white light and good efficiency. The most prominent use of the MH lamp is in stadiums and sports fields. It is also used widely for parking lots and street lighting in urban areas.

Mounting Height. The distance from the finished grade to the top of the lighting fixtures including any lighting fixture foundation.

Municipal. An area, street or facility which is owned or managed by the city of Palm Desert or is associated with a city of Palm Desert facility such as parks, recreation facilities or a city-owned or managed building such as City Hall.

New Development Area. Any development in previously unimproved areas. This includes new developments generally recognized as planned housing, industrial or commercial developments.

Non-Cutoff. A luminaire having a light distribution in which no limitation of light intensity occurs above ninety degrees above nadir.

Off-Street Lighting. Lighting for off-street parking in public, private, municipal or restricted parking areas. All lighting positioned off the street in public and private properties, i.e., parking lots, building lighting, walkway lighting, parks, and fenced yards.

Outdoor Light Fixture. Any lighting product intended and designed for outdoor use to provide illumination of a defined area or subject.

Parking Area. An area, other than a public street, designed or used primarily for parking.

Pedestrian Scale. A luminaire mounted at no more than ten feet above finished grade and intended to illuminate a walking path or small pedestrian area.

Photometry or Photometric. The quantitative measurement of light level and distribution. This information is developed with programs designed to illustrate foot-candles numerically on a project site plan.

Plasma Lighting (LEP). Plasma lamps are a type of gas discharge lamp energized by radio

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City of Palm Desert, CA § 24.16.060

PALM DESERT CODE

§ 24.16.060

frequency (RF) power which produce high illuminance for exterior applications such as streets, large big box parking lots and sports lighting applications. The LEP lamps have a life ranging from thirty thousand to fifty thousand hours, a CRI of 95. Their LEP lamp is able to operate up to fifty percent more efficiently than conventional HID (high-intensity discharge lamp) lamps while generating the same maintained lumens as a conventional four hundred watt system at about half the energy. The technology also allows the lamp to be dimmed to fifty percent of the rated lamp lumen output.

Recreational Facilities. Public, municipal or private facilities designed and equipped for the conduct of sports, leisure time activities, and other customary and usual recreational activities. Outdoor recreational facilities include, but are not limited to, fields or stadiums for softball, baseball, football, soccer, golf courses, driving ranges and other "field sports," and courts for tennis, basketball, volleyball, handball and other "court sports."

Reflector. Controlling light output by means of reflection (mirror).

Refractor. Controlling light output by means of refraction (lens).

Semi-Cutoff. Outdoor light fixtures designed or constructed so that ninety-five percent of the light rays emitted by the fixture are projected below the horizontal plane passing through the photometric center of the fixture from which the light is emitted. A luminaire light distribution in which the candela per one thousand lamp lumens does not numerically exceed fifty (five percent) at or above an angle of ninety degrees above nadir, and two hundred (twenty percent) at or above a vertical angle of eighty degrees above nadir. This applies to all lateral angles around the luminaire.

Sky Glow or Urban Sky Glow. Any adverse effect of manmade light that produces direct lighting into the sky from the lamp compartment that is not shielded.

Street Lighting. Lighting for all streets or highways including intersections. (Ord. 1272 § 1, 2014)

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City of Palm Desert, CA

ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION

§ 24.20.010

§ 24.20.020