ORD-2003-037 - Outdoor Lighting Standards Zoning Ordinance Amendment

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Il 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 aozs 12 DRAPT "Regarding your question, it would probably be answered by the first two speakers from their concems of, and their. perspective. I would say that from Duke Power's perspective and my professional experiences that the type of light, as far as metal halide, mercury vapor, high pressure sodium, low pressure sodium is a lot of times a matter of personal preference, esthetics, you know the color rendition. Each one is designed to do something differently. Of course the metal halide, the bright white light, is what looks the nicest but it is also the most expensive from the standpoint of maintenance, materials and equipment. "The light trespass issue is more of improper application or the use of fixtures that are not the cut-off fixtures because when the light projects below that fixture, it's not always shining down on the surface intended. It's also bleeding out to the side. And you can see a small point of light for miles away. Again, from [Three College Observator ?] you be up on the hills in southern Alamance County and see those lights for miles and miles even on a clear night when there is no moisture in the air. It's not the light that's being projected on the roadway. You could have the same type lights, same wattage and everything, but if you had the cut-off lens, it would be down on the roadway and not that point of light that you see from miles away. I think it's the application, the type of fixture, that's the biggest offender." Ms. [Price? 1 "And what about the efficiency? That's what 1 was, I mean. Does it mean that we have several low wattage, I mean,wwould we have like a hundred low wattage light fixtures for a certain area. What would that cost as compared to having say a lesser amount of the brighter lights but with the proper shielding ...if you don't have the domes.. "[she wasn't speaking into the mic so I couldn't hear everything she said.] Ron Osborne "From a lighting. design point, you are usually better off having a lot of low wattage lights because that helps what is called the uniformity ratio. It's the ratio of the brightest area to the darkest area. But oftentimes if you are talking about more lights, that's more poles. You know that's more things for a car to run into, that's more poles sitting in somebody's yard, especially if it's a street project. The property owner buy rights, and very understandably doesn't want a pole in their front yard, then you can't sometimes shift a pole fifty feet so it's not right in front of their house because then it throws out your uniformity ratio and your spacing. So, that's why there's a variety of fixtures and pole sizes and bracket lengths and everything else, because one size does not fit all. "To give you an example, on State highways, the Department of Transportation requires a lighting encroachment, just like they would. Any portion of light falling on the DOT highway has to be approved just like a pole sitting in a right of way would have. it's very hard to make one size fit all. So that's why there is a lot of varieties of different fixtures and lighting types and everything else. But the one basic common thread that can be addressed is the use of cut -off fixtures. It will impact adversely the spacing somewhat, but the gains from the elimination of that point source of light, being an irritant, from my experience, and I think the experience of like the City of Charlotte and other large municipalities is that it is worth it." Nicole Gooding — Ray "Ok. Are there any further questions ?" "is there a motion ?" Chair Brown "I move that we refer this to the Planning Board and return it to the Board of Commissioners no later than May 20''." 0