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_________________________________________________________________________________________ City of Arden Hills Planning Commission Meeting for July 9, 2014 P:\Planning\Planning Cases\2014\PC 14-019 - Zoning Code Amendment - Lighting Regulations\Memos_14-019 Page 1 of 3 DATE: July 9, 2014 PC Agenda Item 4.B TO: Planning Commission FROM: Matthew Bachler, Associate Planner SUBJECT: Planning Case #14-019: Zoning Code Amendment – Lighting Regulations Requested Action Review the draft of Ordinance 2014-006 and provide staff with further direction. Background At their meeting on June 4, 2014, the Planning Commission reviewed the City’s regulations on exterior lighting and discussed several areas where revisions could be made. Specifically, the discussion focused on how best to address the higher levels of luminosity associated with LED lights. Staff has since begun working on a draft of Ordinance 2014-006 that would update the exterior lighting requirements in Section 1325.05 of the Zoning Code. Section 1320 also includes detailed requirements on exterior lighting for specific districts within the City. With the proposed revisions to Section 1325.05, some of the district-specific regulations will become duplicative. The final draft of Ordinance 2014-006 will include updates to Section 1320 to ensure consistency on lighting standards throughout the Zoning Code. The Commissioners were generally in agreement that the regulations should be written to limit light trespass and establish prescriptive design requirements to reduce light pollution. Additionally, it was recommended that a maximum lumen level be set to limit the intensity of individual light fixtures. The Commission also discussed having height limits for exterior lights, with more restrictive requirements for lights within a certain distance of adjoining properties. The applicability of the lighting regulations was discussed as well. In order to evaluate compliance with many of the standards, a detailed lighting plan would be required. The Planning Commission concluded that only commercial, industrial, and multi-family properties should have to submit these plans. However, residential properties would still be required to follow the established standards. Finally, staff was instructed to look into whether certain types of lighting, such as holiday lights and illumination of flagpoles, should be exempted from these regulations. MEMORANDUM