A. Purpose and Intent.

 The purpose of this Section is to regulate the placement, orientation, distribution patterns, and fixture types of outdoor lighting and to discourage excessive lighting.  The intent of this Section is to encourage lighting that, while providing safety, utility, and security also prevents glare on the public roadways and other public ways and reduces atmospheric light pollution. 

B. Applicability 

This Section shall apply to new Industrial and Commercial Use Lighting; 

All externally illuminated signs; 

Residential lighting of one hundred-fifty (150) watts or more for each light fixture, and/or fluorescent lights of twenty (20) watts or more per fixture. 

C. Lighting Plan Submission Requirements 

The exterior lighting plan shall include the proposed location, mounting height, and type of luminaries, and aiming point of all exterior lighting fixtures, both building and ground mounted lighting, as well as the illuminance levels shown on a 10’ maximum grid;

Certification that the angle of total light cutoff is no more than 90 degrees; this certification can be in the form of Photometric data supplied by the manufacturer or a letter from a certified lighting professional stating that the proposed lighting meets the regulations of this Section; 

Descriptions of luminaries, including lamps, poles or other supports and shielding devices which may be provided as catalogue cut sheets from the manufacturer; 

Additional information as may be required by the Planning Director in order to determine compliance with this Section. 

D. Approved Materials and Methods of Construction, Installation, or Operation 

The provisions of this Section are not intended to prevent the use of any design, materials, or methods of installation or operation which are not specifically described by this Section.  The Planning Director may permit the use of designs, materials, methods of installation or operation as alternative to those otherwise required by this Section upon proof that the alternative meets the standards set by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) for outdoor lighting OR a written certification by a qualified lighting professional stating that the alternative meets or exceeds the standards set forth in this Section and further its purpose and intent. 

E. Exemptions. 

The following uses shall be exempt from the provisions of this Section: 

Temporary lighting for special events, circuses, fairs, carnivals, or civic uses which uses are temporary in nature and in no event which will exceed a period of 30 days. 

Seasonal decorations using typical unshielded low-wattage incandescent lamps shall be permitted during the months of November, December and January. 

Any lighting required by the FAA for air traffic control, navigation, and warning purposes. 

Sports/athletic field lighting and sports complex lighting. 

Construction or emergency lighting provided such lighting is temporary and is discontinued immediately upon completion of the construction work or abatement of the emergency necessitating said lighting.

Lighting associated with farming and ranching uses where such uses constitute the principal use of the property. This exemption also applies to the associated farm or ranch residence.  Land simply zoned “agricultural” shall not be a sole basis for this exemption.   

Lighting for official government meteorological data gathering purposes.

Residential lighting of one hundred-fifty (150) watts or less for each light fixture, and/or fluorescent lights of twenty (20) watts or less per fixture. 

F. Outdoor Lighting Design Standards 

All lighting shall be designed, located, installed and directed in such a manner to prevent objectionable light at and across property lines and to prevent glare at any location on or off the property. 

Fixtures and Shielding 

All lamps shall be shielded in a way as to prevent glare and/or light trespass from all buildings, site and aesthetic lighting; 

Shall be full cut off style fixtures for all parking area lighting; 

Shall be full cut off or a shielded type fixture for all building lighting, wall pack fixtures must be cutoff (shielded) fixtures. 

Lamp Types 

Lamps shall be of a white light source such as metal halide, incandescent, or a lamp with a color-rendering index (CRI) greater than or equal to 70. 

Maximum Light Levels 

Shall not exceed one-tenth (0.1) foot-candle as a direct result of the on-site lighting measured twenty (20) feet beyond the property line; 

Shall not exceed the maintained horizontal illuminace recommendations set by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) or an average illumination level of one and five tenths (1.5) foot-candles for the illuminated area. 

Maximum Mounting Height   

Shall be mounted twenty four feet when the fixture is located within seventy five feet of the sites boundary; or 

Forty feet when the fixture is located beyond seventy five feet from the sites boundary. 

G. Hours of Lighting 

Except as otherwise stated in this Section, all exterior lighting shall be required to be turned off after business hours between midnight and 6:00 a.m., leaving only the necessary lighting for site and building security.  All nonessential lighting shall be turned off during this period.  For purposes of this section, NONESSENTIAL LIGHTING shall include display lighting, aesthetic and sign lighting, lighting of landscape and architectural features, and may include parking lot lighting. 

H. Security Lighting 

Shall use the lowest possible illumination to effectively allow surveillance and not to exceed 0.5 foot-candles; 

Fixtures shall be full cut-off fixtures; 

Light shall be shielded and aimed so that illumination is directed to the designated areas. 

I. Canopy Lighting 

Lighting fixtures mounted on canopies shall be installed such that the bottom of the light fixture or its lens, whichever is lower, is recessed or mounted flush with the bottom surface of the canopy and parallel to the ground.  A full cut off light fixture may project below the underside of a canopy.  All light emitted by an under canopy fixture shall be substantially confined to the ground surface beneath the perimeter of the canopy.  No lighting except that permitted by Pueblo County Code, Title 17, Chapter 116 (Advertising Devices and Signs) shall be permitted on the top or sides of a canopy. 

J. Sign Lighting 

Upward-directed sign lighting is prohibited except for monument signs of less than six (6) feet overall height; 

External illumination for signs shall also conform to all provisions of this Section. 

K. Flag Pole Lighting 

A flagpole may be illuminated by one upward aimed fully shielded and self contained spotlight light fixture which shall not exceed 3,000 lumens (150 watts).  The light fixture shall be placed as close to the base of the flagpole as reasonably possible. 

L. Prohibited Lighting 

Promotional beacons, searchlights, laser source lights, strobe light, or any similar high intensity light, when projected above the horizontal; 

Floodlighting that:

            shines above the ninety (90) degree horizontal plane

            produces a glare for pedestrians and drivers

            produces light that trespasses beyond the property line.