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HomeMy WebLinkAboutagenda.apz.19990427AGENDA ASPEN PLANING & ZONING COMMISSION SPECIAL MEETING TUESDAY, APRIL 27,1999, 4:30 PM SISTER CITIES MEETING .ROOM, CITY HALL i. COMMENTS A. Commissioners B. Planning Staff C. Public II. DECLARATION OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST III. IN FORMATION ITEM A. Engineering/Construction Update, Nick Adeh IV. NVORK SESSION A. Lighting Code, Mitch Haas V. ADJOURN ME MEMORANDUM TO: Aspen Planning and Zoning Commission THRU: Julie Ann Woods, Community Development Directo Joyce Ohlson, Deputy Director ww FROM: Mitch Haas, Planner RE: Improved Outdoor Lighting Regulations --- Work Session DATE: April 20, 1999 SUMMARY: Staff has received direction from City Council to improve upon the existing City regulations with regard to outdoor lighting. To get an idea of the extent of regulation desired, staff informally surveyed City Council members and received three sets of responses. From these, there was unanimous support for regulation of the following types or areas of concern: • Street lighting, • Security Lighting (including parking areas, residential, commercial, and driveways); • Existing invasive/unshielded lighting; • Fixture types (shielded, cut-off, flood, pole -mounted, etc.); • Types of light sources (neon, incandescent, halogen, mercury vapor, halide, etc.); • Lighting intensity/illumination levels (foot-candles); • lVattages (power consumption); • Direction of illumination (dovrn-directional, away from R.O.W., etc. --- related to "trespass"); • Fixture heights; • Glare and trespass; and, • Lighting of landscaping and water courses. There was also some, but not unanimous, support for regulation of the following types or areas of concern: • Sign lighting; • Walkway/bikeway lighting; • Lighting of exterior sports/performance facilities; • Outdoor display lighting; and, • Blinking/flashing lights, exclusive of holiday lighting. There are many highly qualified experts in the field of outdoor lighting and its regulation. Many of these experts have consulting firms that would love to have a contract to work with the community to arrive at a set of improved and comprehensive outdoor lighting regulations for the City of Aspen. In fact, one of the most widely recognized and accomplished professionals in the field, Nancy Clanton, P.E., (Clanton and Associates) is based in Boulder and has expressed an interest in working with the City of Aspen. On the other hand, there are many jurisdictions that have hired experts and adopted comprehensive lighting regulations that staff can "borrow from" to save money and still arrive at a strong, effective set of regulations. For instance, staff has attached an annotated list/summary of outdoor lighting regulations from Aspen, Pitkin County, Basalt, Telluride, Snowmass Village, and Douglas County, as well as a model outdoor lighting ordinance done for Vermont municipalities. Staff believes that picking and choosing from these examples while modifying specifics to fit our community will result in a successful ordinance. From these examples, staff has determined that outdoor lighting ordinances address/regulate the following general areas of concern through various approaches: • Direction of illumination (shielding types, lens color, etc.); • Fixture heights; • Types of lighting sources (incandescent, neon, halide, mercury vapor, fluorescent, high and low pressure sodium, halogen, etc.); • Wattages (power consumption); • Illumination levels (foot-candles) and/or Uniformity ratios (ratio of average to minimum illuminance in foot-candles); • Fixture types (flood, full cut-off, motion sensor, etc.); • Separation distances (spacing between fixtures/sources); • Glare and trespass (via uplighting and shielding provisions); • Amount (of lamps/sources); • Time limitations (time of day lamps may be on --- i.e., sign lighting must be turned off one hour after the close of business); • Holiday lighting; • Prohibitions (i.e., no beacon/search lights, no mercury vapor or low pressure sodium, etc.); • Nonconforming lighting (lighting rendered nonconforming by new regulations); • Enforcement (by whom and how); • Fixture/source locations (i.e. setbacks from roads and residential uses, on roofs.. etc.) • Lighting color (known as color rendering, usually addressed under "prohibitions") • Types of lighting installations (regulation by use); • Lighting zone districts (different standards by zone district); and, • Fixture design (usually for historic districts/areas/buildings). GOAL OF WORK SESSION: At this time, staff would like direction regarding which of the general areas of concern and approaches listed above (and in the attached documents) would this community, as represented by the Planning and Zoning Commission, support regulating (?). Staff would also appreciate commissioners reviewing the attached summaries with the intention of identifying specific ideas to suggest incorporating into Aspen's ordinance. Once the general areas/concerns to regulate are identified and general approaches are suggested, staff is confident it will be able to adequately piece together the specific code language to propose. 2 The following provides an annotated list/summary of outdoor lighting regulations in Aspen, Pitkin County, Basalt, Telluride, Snowmass Village, and Douglas County, as well as a model outdoor lighting ordinance done for Vermont municipalities. Basalt's regulations are recently adopted, and Snowmass Village is in the process of preparing an ordinance similar to that of Basalt. The description provided herein of Snowmass Village's regulations represent their existing provisions, not those being prepared for consideration/adoption. Note that maximum lighting levels used in most of these ordinances are based on recommendations contained in the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) Lighting Handbook, and staff has recently been informed that the IESNA recommendations for communities are being revised since they were producing lighting levels that were too high. The new IESNA report will be issued in a few weeks. Existing Lighting -Related Regulations in Aspen: • Supplementary Regulations: "Any light used to illuminate parking areas or for any other purpose shall be so arranged as to reflect the light away from nearby residential properties and vision of passing motorists." • Stream Margin Review: "All exterior lighting is low and downcast with no light(s) directed toward the river or located down the slope." • Hallam Lake Bluff Review: "All exterior lighting shall be low and downcast with no light(s) directed toward the nature preserve or located down the slope." • Planned Unit Developments (PUD): "All lighting shall be arranged so as to prevent direct glare or hazardous interference of any kind to adjoining streets or lands." • Engineering Design Standards under "Subdivision": "Street lights shall be placed at a maximum spacing of three hundred (300) feet. Ornamental street lights are desirable." • The sign code (Chapter 26.36) contains the following regulations regarding lighting of signs: 4 "Lights permanently affixed to a building and made an integral part of the building architecturally, designed for that building, directed only at and not away from the building, and shielded in such a manner that the light source is fixed and is not directly visible from any public right-of-way or an), area outside the lot on which the building is located, provided such lights are not flashing lights [are exempt from sign regulations]." • "Signs with lights or illuminations which flash, move, rotate, scintillate, blink, flicker, vary in intensity, vary in color, or use intermittent electrical pulsations [are prohibited for erection, repair, alteration, relocation or placement in the City of Aspen]." • "Neon lights, televisions used for advertising or information, and other gas -filled light tubes, except when used for indirect illumination and in such a manner as to not be directly exposed to public view [are prohibited]." • "Search lights or beacons [are prohibited]." • "A sign or illumination that causes any direct glare into or upon any public right-of-way, adjacent lot, or building other than the building to which the sign may be accessory [is prohibited]." • "Strip lighting outlining commercial structures and used to attract attention for commercial purposes, and strings of light bulbs used in. any connection with commercial premises unless the lights shall be shielded [are prohibited]." • "Unsafe signs" are prohibited, including signs that cause glare or in any way obstruct the view of vehicle operators or pedestrians entering a public roadway from any parking area, service drive, public driveway, alley or other throughfare. • "No sign shall be illuminated through the use of internal illumination, rear illumination, fluorescent illumination or neon or other gas tube illumination, except when used for indirect illumination and in such a manner as to not be directly exposed to public view." • "Illumination of signs shall be designed, located, shielded and directed in such a manner that the light source is fixed and is not directly visible from, and does riot cast glare or direct light from artificial illumination upon, any adjacent public right-of-way, surrounding property, residential property or motorist's vision." • "Nonconforming signs which were in existence on or before May 25, 1988, shall be discontinued on or before November 25, 1988." • "A home occupation identification sign may be illuminated only when it is identifying a home occupation of an emergency service nature. A multi -family dwelling complex or mobile home park identification sign may be illuminated." • In addition to the regulations described above, the City of Aspen has adopted an Electrical Code and an Energy Code as parts of the Building requirements. Pitkin County: • "All lighting shall be designed so that the lighting element (or transparent shield) is not directly visible from adjoining properties or public rights -of -way." • Maximum light source height (from the ground) and intensity (as measured at the property line) are set as follows: for public parking lots, 12'-15' in height at 0-0.5 foot-candles; for pedestrian walkways and driveways, utilize pole type lighting up to 4' in height at 0.1-0.5 foot-candles; for vehicular intersections, 20-25 in height at 0.5-1.0 foot-candles; for high - activity pedestrian areas, 10'-12' in height at 0.5-1.0 foot -candies; for security areas, less than 20' in height, designed to prevent glare onto adjacent properties, and at 1.0-2.0 foot- candles; and, for primary entrance signs, sculpture and landscape features lighting must comply with the design standards applicable to signs. • "Mounting high intensity spot- or floodlights on buildings is prohibited." • Temporary holiday decorations, including those with lights, maintained in an attractive condition that does not present a fire hazard do not require a development permit provided certain design standards are complied with. The design standards (applicable to all signs) address heights, setbacks, lettering, locations, materials, area/size, and similar parameters. • "Signs illuminated by high intensity, gas -filled lights or strings of lights are prohibited." • "Any light illuminating signs shall be indirect and arranged to reflect light away from nearby properties and the vision of passing motorists." • "The total wattage of all bulbs used for lighting the face of any sign shall not exceed seventy- five (75) watts for incandescent bulbs and forty (40) watts for fluorescent bulbs." Basalt: Reg lighting by wattage and foot-candles, as well as by fixture type, height, and directionality. Requires submittal of Outdoor Lighting Plans with land use applications and building permit application plan sets. Outdoor Lighting Plans must include the location and height of all fixtures; the type of light source(s) (incandescent, halogen, high pressure sodium, etc.) and their respective wattage; fixture types (flood, full cut-off, lanterns, etc.); estimated site illumination in foot-candles (lighting intensity); and, "other information deemed necessary to document compliance with the provisions." Specifically regulates street lighting; non-residential and mixed use installations; sign lighting; and, residential lighting as summarized below. Street Lighting: • All fixtures must be fully -shielded • Maximum fixture heights • Minimum separation distances between fixtures • Fixture types Non -Residential and Mixed -Use: • Lighting used to illuminate, parking, driveways, maneuvering areas, or buildings --- regulated in terms of glare, trespass, and illumination levels (foot-candles) • Maximum fixture heights • Fixture shielding (no clear lenses) • Fixture spacing (for security and parking lot lighting including wall mounted fixtures, aesthetic fixtures, and lamppost and aesthetic fixture combinations) • Amount of light.sources (lamps) per pole -mounted fixture • Up -lighting containment Sign Lighting: • All provisions applicable to'non-residential and mixed -use developments • Lighting intensity/illumination levels (no more than 75 foot-candles) 4 • Sign lighting in residential areas and/or residential zone districts • Time limits (i.e., must be shut off by a certain time of night) Residential LjLht Eg: • Maximum fixture heights • Deck and balcony lighting (must be fully -shielded) • Maximum wattage levels for particular types of light sources • Maximum wattage and minimum spacing requirements for landscape lighting • Fixtlare shielding (no clear lenses) and glare minimization • Flood and security lighting regulated in terms of glare, trespass, fixture types (fully shielded, down -directional), and light intensity (not to exceed 10 foot-candles); photocell or timer - controlled lights are prohibited, and certain types of motion sensor lights are encouraged • Up -lighting containment Exemptions: • Holiday lighting between November V and April 15th • Municipal lighting of a temporary nature (up to 90 days) • Lighting for outdoor recreational facilities (subject to specified exemption review standards and requirements) ;rohibited Procedures for exemptions Lighting: • Roof -top, except where required by building code • Flood illumination of buildings from ground or .pole -mounted lights, or from lights mounted on adjoining structures • Lights which flash, move, revolve, scintillate, blink, flicker, vary in intensity, change color, or use intermittent electrical pulsation • Mercury vapor and .low-pressure sodium lighting • Linear lighting (including neon, fluorescent, rope -lighting, and low -voltage strip lighting) primarily intended as an architectural highlight to attract attention or used as a means of identification or advertisement Nonconforming Lighting: • Legal non conformities created by these regulations shall not be moved, changed in use or light type, nor replaced oh structurally altered without being brought into conformance • Conformity shall be required at the time of building permit application or development review application (such as rezoning, special review, PUD, SPA, ESA, conditional use, etc.) Enforcement: Same as zoning enforcement Night-time inspections prior to C.O. Town of Telluride: Telluride has set guidelines for outdoor lighting in its historic district; the guidelines are used by their equivalent of an Historic Preservation Commission. Their HARC (similar to Aspen's HPC) may call back projects in which obtrusive lighting schemes fail 'to meet the intent of the guidelines, and the HARC may require applicants to provide lighting plans where lighting design appears to be an issue, The guidelines apply to all types of external light sources, including site lights ,and those attached to buildings. The guidelines address site. lighting and building lighting as follows: • General: Shielding to prevent glare onto adjacent properties' and rights -of -way; down - directional cut-off fixtures encouraged; up -lighting and high intensity light sources are prohibited . • General: Light color and intensity should be similar to that used traditionally; low intensity lighting of warm colors that simulate daylight (blue or orange casts are discouraged); unshielded flood lights, sodium, mercury vapor, and neon are characterized as inappropriate. • Site Lighting: Site lighting should be simple in character (form and detail), at a pedestrian scale, emphasize safety, and help to define different functional areas of the property.