§ 285-3. Criteria.  


Latest version.
  • The City Council, the City Building Code Inspector and/or the Planning and Zoning Commission shall have the authority to require new lighting, and existing lighting pursuant to § 285-1C(1) hereinabove, to meet the recommendations and guidelines, in addition to the requirements of this chapter.
    A. 
    All applications for design review, conditional use, subdivision and/or building permits shall include lighting plans showing location, type, height, and lumen output of all proposed and existing fixtures. The applicant shall provide enough information to verify that lighting conforms to the provisions of this chapter. The Planning and Zoning Commission and/or Community Development Official shall have the authority to request additional information in order to achieve the purposes of this chapter.
    B. 
    All exterior lighting shall be full-cutoff fixtures with the light source fully shielded, with the following exceptions:
    (1) 
    Luminaires that have a maximum output of 260 lumens per fixture, regardless of number of bulbs, (equal to one twenty-watt incandescent light), may be left unshielded provided the fixture has an opaque top to keep light from shining directly up.
    (2) 
    Luminaires that have a maximum output of 1,000 lumens per fixture, regardless of number of bulbs (equal to one sixty-watt incandescent light), may be partially shielded, provided the bulb is not visible, and the fixture has an opaque top to keep light from shining directly up.
    (3) 
    Floodlights with external shielding may be angled provided that no light escapes above a twenty-five-degree angle measured from the vertical line from the center of the light extended to the ground, and only if the light does not cause glare or light to shine on adjacent property or public rights-of-way. Floodlights with directional shielding are encouraged. Photocells with timers that allow a floodlight to go on at dusk and off by 11:00 p.m. are encouraged.
    (4) 
    Holiday lights as defined in § 285-2 are exempt from the requirements of this chapter for the six-and-one-half-month period from November 1 to April 15, except that flashing holiday lights are prohibited on commercial properties. Flashing holiday lights on residential properties are discouraged. Holiday lights are encouraged to be turned off after bedtime and after close of businesses.
    (5) 
    Sensor-activated lighting may be unshielded provided it is located in such a manner as to prevent direct glare and lighting into properties of others or into a public right-of-way, and provided the light is set to only go on when activated and to go off within five minutes after activation has ceased, and the light shall not be triggered by activity off the property.
    (6) 
    Vehicular lights and all temporary emergency lighting needed by the Fire and Police Departments, or other emergency services shall be exempt from the requirements of this chapter.
    C. 
    Light trespass. It is the intent of this chapter to eliminate and prevent light trespass through the proper installation of lighting fixtures. All existing and/or new exterior lighting shall not cause light trespass and shall be such as to protect adjacent properties from glare and excessive lighting.
    D. 
    IESNA guidelines. The Planning and Zoning Commission may require that any new lighting or existing lighting that comes before them meet the standards for footcandle output as established by IESNA.
    E. 
    All nonessential exterior commercial and residential lighting is encouraged to be turned off after business hours and/or when not in use. Lights on a timer are encouraged. Sensor-activated lights are encouraged to replace existing lighting that is desired for security purposes.
    F. 
    Area lights.
    (1) 
    All area lights, including streetlights and parking area lighting, shall be full-cutoff fixtures and are required to be eighty-five-degree full-cutoff-type fixtures. Streetlights shall be high-pressure sodium, low-pressure sodium, or metal halide, unless otherwise determined by the Council that another type is more efficient. Streetlights along residential streets shall be limited to a seventy-watt high-pressure sodium (hps) light and shall have a four-inch-tall sheet metal shroud installed around the perimeter of the lens to direct light downward. Streetlights along nonresidential streets or at intersections shall be limited to 100 watts hps, except that lights at major intersections on state highways shall be limited to 200 watts hps. If the Council permits a light type other than high-pressure sodium, then the equivalent output shall be the limit for the other light type. For example: a one-hundred-watt high-pressure-sodium lamp has a roughly equivalent output as a fifty-five-watt low-pressure-sodium lamp, or a one-hundred-watt metal-halide lamp.
    (2) 
    Parking area lights are encouraged to be greater in number, lower in height and lower in light level, as opposed to fewer in number, higher in height and higher in light level. Parking lot lighting shall not exceed IESNA-recommended footcandle levels.
    (3) 
    All freestanding area lights within a residential zone, that are privately owned, except streetlights, shall be mounted at a height equal to or less than the value 3 + (D/3), where D is the distance in feet to the nearest property boundary or shrouded to direct light downward. The City may assist the residential customer with the shrouding.
    G. 
    Luminaire mounting height. Freestanding luminaires shall be no higher than 25 feet above the stand/pole base, except that luminaires used for playing fields shall be exempt from the height restriction provided all other provisions of this chapter are met and the light is used only while the field is in use, and except that streetlights used on major roads may exceed this standard if necessary as determined by the City Council, as advised by a lighting engineer. Building-mounted luminaires shall be attached only to walls, and the top of the fixture shall not exceed the height of the parapet or roof, whichever is greater.
    H. 
    Uplighting. Uplighting is prohibited in all zoning districts, except in cases where the fixture is shielded by a roof overhang or similar structural shield from the sky and a New Mexico licensed architect or engineer has stamped a prepared lighting plan that ensures that the light fixture(s) will not cause light to extend beyond the structural shield, and except as specifically permitted in this chapter.
    I. 
    Flag poles. Upward flagpole lighting is permitted for governmental flags only, and provided that the maximum lumen output is 1,300 lumens. Flags are encouraged to be taken down at sunset to avoid the need for lighting.
    J. 
    Service stations. The average footcandle lighting level for new and existing service stations is required to be no greater than 30 footcandles, as set by the IESNA for urban service stations.
    K. 
    Canopy lights. All lighting shall be recessed sufficiently so as to ensure that no light source is visible from or causes glare on public rights-of-way or adjacent property.
    L. 
    Landscape lighting. Lighting of vegetation is discouraged and shall be in conformance with this chapter. Uplighting is prohibited.
    M. 
    Towers. All radio, communication, and navigation towers that require lights shall have dual lighting capabilities. For daytime, the white strobe light may be used, and for nighttime, only red lights shall be used.
    N. 
    Temporary lighting. Temporary lighting that conforms to the requirements of this chapter shall be allowed. Nonconforming temporary exterior lighting may be permitted by the Planning and Zoning Commission only after considering the public and/or private benefits which will result from the temporary lighting; any annoyance or safety problems that may result from the use of the temporary lighting; and the duration of the temporary nonconforming lighting. The applicant shall submit a detailed description of the proposed temporary nonconforming lighting to the Planning and Zoning Commission. The Commission shall provide written notice of said request to owners of property immediately adjacent to the subject property. Said notice shall inform adjacent property owners they may comment on the request during a period of not less than 10 days after mailing of the notice and prior to final action on said request.
    O. 
    Neon lights. Neon lights are only permitted for businesses and required to be turned off during nonbusiness hours.