LIMERICK TOWNSHIPORDINANCE NO. 180

OUTDOOR LIGHTING ORDINANCE

A. Purpose: This Ordinance sets forth criteria for the following:

1. The provision of lighting in public places where safety and security are concerns.

2. The control of disabling glare from non-vehicular light sources that shine into driver's and pedestrian's eyes and thereby impair safe traverse.

3. The protection of neighbors and the night sky from nuisance glare and stray light from poorly aimed, placed, shielded or applied light sources.

B. Applicability: outdoor lighting shall be required for safety and personal security in areas of public assembly and traverse; including but nor, limited to single family and multifamily dwelling unit developments, commercial, industrial, public recreational, and institutional uses. In addition to the minimum placement requirements, the Board of Supervisors may require lighting to be incorporated for other uses or locations as they deem necessary. The glare control requirements herein contained apply to all lighting installations, including residential. (Refer to Section "D" for placement and location of fixtures).

C. Criteria:

1. Illumination Levels

a. Illumination, where required by this Ordinance, shall have intensities and uniformity ratios in accordance with the current recommended practices of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), as from time to time amended. The following table reflects said recommended practices of IESNA at the time of adoption of the within Ordinance:

	Maintained Footcandles	Uniformity Ratio - Avg:Min.
Roadways, local residential	0.4 Avg.	6:1
Roadways, local commercial	0.9 Avg.	6:1
Parking, residential
Vehicular traffic	0.5 Avg.	4:1
Pedestrian safety, security & orientation	0.2 Avg.	4:1
Parking, commercial
Vehicular traffic, medium activity lots	1.0 Avg.	3:1
Vehicular traffic, high activity lots	2.0 Min.	3:1
Pedestrian safety, security orientation
Medium activity lots	0.6 Avg.	3:1
High activity lots	0.9 Avg.	3:1
Walkways and Bikeways	0.5 Avg.	5:1
Building entrances	5.0 Avg.	-

All future amendments to the recommended practices of IESNA shall be made a part of the Limerick Township outdoor Lighting ordinance without further action by the Limerick Township Board of Supervisors.

Copies of IESNA current publications may be obtained from IESNA Publications, 120 Wall Street, New York, NY 10005.

Note: All streets and public parking fixtures shall be equipped with High Pressure Sodium lighting (HPS).

2. Fixture Design

a. Fixtures shall be of a type and design appropriate to the lighting application, and aesthetically acceptable to the Planning Commission for recommendation to the Board of Supervisors.

b. For areas, such as parking lots, sharp cutoff type fixtures shall be used.

c Fixtures shall be equipped with or be capable of being back fitted with light directing devices such as shields, visors or hoods when necessary to redirect offending light distribution..

3. Control of Nuisance and Disabling Glare

a. All outdoor lighting, whether or not required by this Ordinance; on private, residential, commercial, industrial, municipal, recreational or institutional property; shall be aimed, located, designed fitted and maintained so as not to present a disabling glare hazard to drivers or pedestrians, or a nuisance glare concern to neighboring properties.

b. Directional fixtures such as flood lights, spot lights and sign lights shall be installed or aimed so that they do not shine directly into the window of a neighboring residence, directly into a roadway, or skyward.

c. Unless otherwise permitted by the Board of Supervisors, lighting shall be controlled by automatic switching devices such as timers, motion detectors and/or photocells, to extinguish offending sources between 11:00 p.m. and dawn, to mitigate glare and sky-lighting consequences.

d. vegetation screens shall not be employed to serve as the primary means for controlling glare. Rather, such control shall be achieved primarily through the use of sharp cut off fixtures, the appropriate application of mounting height, wattage, aiming angle, fixture placement and fixture design, etc. and the additions of shields and baffles as necessary.

e. The amount of illumination projected onto a residential use from another property shall not exceed 0. 1 vertical foot candle at the property line.

f Externally illuminated signs shall be lighted by fixtures mounted at the top of the sign and aimed down rather than by fixtures mounted at the bottom of the sign and aimed up.

4. Installation

a. Lighting fixtures shall not be mounted in excess of 20 feet above grade.

b. Electrical feeds to lighting standards shall run underground, no overhead.

c. Lighting standards in public parking areas shall be placed a minimum of 5 feet outside the paved area, or 5 feet behind tire stops locations; or on reinforced concrete pedestals at least 30 inches high above the pavement, or by other acceptable protective means.

5. Maintenance: Lighting fixtures shall be maintained so as to always meet the requirements of this Ordinance.

D. Plan Submission: Lighting plans submitted to the municipality for review and approval shall include a layout of the proposed fixture locations; isofootcandle plots that demonstrate adequate intensities and uniformity; and manufacturer's catalog cuts that present a description of the equipment, including glare reduction devices, lamps, switching devices, mounting heights and mounting methods proposed. All proposed development plans shall, at the time of Preliminary Plan submittal, include lighting plans indicating proposed placement of all lighting fixtures incorporated with the above referenced specifications. The lighting plans shall also provide an engineering detail of fixtures, manufacturer, model, and installation of same.

1. Fixture Location/Placement: The following are minimum requirements for placement of street lighting fixtures:

a. All Residential Developments:

(I.) All entrance roads entering the proposed development and intersecting any public road.

(2.) All intersections involving proposed public roads within the proposed development.

(3.) All proposed public roads within the proposed development with said road having a minimum 300, horizontal curve. in this case, the fixture shall be placed on the apex of the horizontal curve or as required by the Township Engineer or Lighting Engineer Consultant thereof.

(4.) Multi Family Unit Parking Areas:

a. One Fixture for every ten (10) contiguous parking spaces provided, or sufficient to meet the requirements of specified in Section C 1(a).

(5.) All Cul-de-Sac bulb radii

(6.) All terminal ends of center median islands having concrete structure curbing, trees, and/or other fixed objects not having a breakaway design for speeds of 25 m.p.h. or greater.

(7.) Any/all defined pedestrian crossings shown on the plans (or required by the Township) located within the development or along existing roads abutting the development with said crossing located in areas other than lighted intersections.

(8.) Any signalized intersection abutting the proposed development.

(9.) Any new traffic signal installation required by the developer.

b. All Land Development and other Non-Residential Developments:

(1.) All requirements as specified in Section D.1. a. above; and,

(2.) Any/all non-public roads, designed as a major thoroughfare through the proposed development. Placement/location of fixtures shall meet the same requirements as specified in Section D. 1. a. above. For the purpose of this Ordinance, any non public road designed and/or used as a main thoroughfare though a land development shall be considered a public road as it pertains to the interpretation of Section D. 1. a. of this Ordinance.

E . Compliance Monitoring:

1. Safety Hazards

a. If the Code Enforcement officer or Township Engineer, judges that a lighting installation creates a safety or personal security hazard, the person(s) responsible for the lighting shall be notified and requested to take timely remedial action.

b. If appropriate corrective action has not been effected within thirty days of notification, the township may levy a fine of between $25.00 and $100.00 per day for as long as the hazard continues to exist.

2. Nuisance Glare and Inadequate Illumination Levels

a. When the Code Enforcement Officer, or Township Engineer, judges that an installation produces unacceptable levels of nuisance glare or skyward light or that illumination levels are insufficient or not being maintained in accordance with this Ordinance, the Officer shall cause notification of the person(s) responsible for the lighting and request remedial action.

b. If the infraction so warrants, the officer may act to have the problem corrected as in E. I.b. above.

F. Street Lighting Dedication: When street lighting is to be dedicated to the Township, the applicant shall be responsible for all costs involved in the lighting of streets and street intersections from the date the first dwelling is occupied unit the date the street is accepted for dedication.

1. Upon dedication of public roads, the Township shall assess the homeowners, association, individual property .owners, or corporations, as may be necessary, to collect all revenues required which are directly or indirectly associated with all costs of each specific street lighting fixture. These costs shall include:

a. Administration

b. Collection

c. Pro-ration of non payables

d. Actual electrical charges from the utility

e. All maintenance and maintenance contracts necessary for the proper maintenance of said fixtures

2. Prior to dedication, and in the event of the formation of a homeowners' association and/or a property management declaration, the Township shall require said agency to enter into an agreement guaranteeing the Township payment of all costs associated with street lighting.

G. Nonconforming Lighting: Lighting: Any lighting fixture existing on the effective date of this Ordinance which does not conform with the requirements of this Ordinance shall be considered a lawful, nonconforming lighting fixture, subject to the following:

1. A nonconforming lighting fixture shall be made to comply with the requirements of this Ordinance when such fixture is replaced, relocated or repaired.

2. All nonconforming lighting fixtures within the Township shall be made to conform to all pertinent regulations or be removed within ten years after the effective date of this Ordinance.

H. Severability: If any provision of this ordinance or application thereof to any person or circumstance, shall be held to be invalid by a Court of competent jurisdiction. Such invalidity shall not affect the other provisions, or application thereof, of this ordinance, which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end, the provisions of this Article are hereby declared to be severable.

I. Effective Date:. This Ordinance shall become effective immediately upon enactment.

ENACTED AND ORDAINED this 6 day of November , 1996.

LIMERICK TOWNSHIP

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

Attest:.Edward J~ Fink Thomas J/Neafcy, Jr.

David T. Akers

David Phelen