BASIC LIGHTING ORDINANCE—
Bar Harbor

Lighting Plan Submissions

The Lighting Plan should be depicted on a site plan, indicating the location of each current and proposed outdoor lighting fixture.

1. The lighting plan should include a KEY to the proposed lighting that provides the following information:
 

a. Type and number of luminaire equipment (fixtures), including the "cut off characteristics," indicating manufacturer and model number(s).
 

b. Lamp source type (bulb type, i.e. high pressure sodium), lumen output, and wattage.
 

c. Mounting height indicated, with distance noted to nearest property line for each luminaire.
 

d. Types of timing devices used to control on/off and the hours set for illumination, as well as the proposed hours when each fixture will be operated.

2. Lighting manufacturer-supplied specifications ("cut sheets") that include photographs of the fixtures, indicating the certified "cut off characteristics" of the fixture.

 

3. If requested an Isometric Foot-candle Distribution Diagram* plotting the light levels at the designated mounting heights for the proposed fixtures. Maximum luminance levels should be expressed in foot-candle measurements on a grid of the site showing iso foot-candle readings in every ten-foot square. The grid shall include light contributions from all sources (i.e. pole mounted, wall mounted, sign, and street lights.) This plan will need to be stamped and certified by a licensed professional, as an architect or engineer.

Lighting

1. Purpose and Intent: To establish minimum requirements for outdoor lighting that enhance visibility and public safety by preventing uncontrolled intrusion into adjacent properties and the natural environment. Best Practices are recommended to promote energy conservation and preserve the town’s night sky which is valuable natural resource important to the town’s character.

2. Requirements: All commercial site plans shall demonstrate that the proposed development shall comply with the following requirements with respect to exterior lighting.

a. Full Cutoff: All lights greater than 1800 lumens shall be shielded to direct all light towards the ground so that the lighting elements are not exposed to normal view by or do not create or constitute a hazard or nuisance to motorists, pedestrians or neighboring residents
 

b. Light Trespass: No light shall be permitted to shine directly into neighboring residential districts or buildings and adjacent properties. The light sources in flood and spot lights shall not be directly visible from adjacent properties. For purposes of this subsection, abutting properties shall include properties that are separated from the lot being developed by a street, road or right-of-way.
 

1. The maximum illumination of an adjacent parcel from light emitted from an artificial light source is 0.1 horizontal foot-candles and 0.1 vertical foot-candles when measured:
 

a. At five feet inside an adjacent residential parcel.
 

b. At 10 feet inside an adjacent commercial or industrial parcel.

2. No line of sight to a light source is permitted 5 feet or more beyond the edge of the public right-of-way or property line in a residential district by an observer viewing from a position that is level with or higher than the ground below the fixture.

3. Compliance is achieved with fixture shielding, directional control designed into the fixture, fixture location, fixture height, fixture aim, or a combination of these factors.
 

c. Excessive Lighting: Lighting shall not be used to direct attention away from existing business and community lighting. New lighting shall not cause existing lighting to appear noticeably dimmer nor reduce the sense of security it provides.
 

1. Areas under structural canopies shall be illuminated so that the uniformity ratio (ratio of average to minimum luminance) shall be no greater than 5:1 with an average illumination level of not more than 30 foot-candles.
 

2. Light fixtures located on structural canopies shall be mounted so that the lens cover is recessed or flush with the ceiling of the canopy.
 

d. Glare: High Intensity Discharge (HID) light sources causing Disability Glare shall not be directly visible to drivers. Full Cutoff fixtures shall be used so as to ensure lighting elements are not exposed to normal view by or do not create or constitute a hazard or nuisance to motorists, pedestrians or neighboring residents.
 

e. Temporary Lighting: The temporary use of low wattage or low voltage lighting for public festivals, celebrations, and the observance of holidays are exempt from regulation except where they create a hazard or nuisance from glare. Light trespass requirements remain in effect. Where possible, lighting should be Full Cutoff.
 

f. Signs and Advertising: All site plans shall demonstrate that all signs related to the proposed development will comply with the following standards, to which all signs located within the Town ______ are subject, regardless of the need for site plan approval.
 

1. Illumination. The illumination of all signs shall comply in all respects with the provisions of this section.
 

2. All illuminated signs shall be lighted by top-mounted lights pointed downward. No sign may be illuminated with fixtures not shielded from upward transmission of light.
 

3. Non-flashing Illumination. Signs may be illuminated only by conflating lights. Lights that flash, pulse, rotate, move, or simulate motion are not permitted.
 

4. All lights shall be shielded to ensure that light sources are not directly visible to drivers or from neighboring properties. See appendix 3 RLM type.

3. Non Conformance:

a. All luminaires in place prior to ___ shall be exempt from these requirements except as noted below.
 

b. Nonconforming luminaires that direct light toward streets parking lots or the water, that cause disability glare to motorists, cyclists, pedestrians or boaters shall either be shielded or redirected within ninety (90) days of notification, so that luminaries do not cause a potential hazard.
 

c. Any luminaire that replaces a nonconforming luminaire or any nonconforming luminaire that is moved must meet the standards of this ordinance.

4. Exceptions:

a. All lighting less than 1800 lumens.

b. Lighting of churches and flags, emergency, holiday, as well as approved sports, and temporary lighting.

Recommended Best Practices and other lighting requirement options

• Use motion sensors to control flood and spot lights.
• Use high pressure sodium (HPS) lights to minimize energy consumption, maintenance costs, and sky glow where color recognition is not needed.
• Turn off non-security parking lot lights after business hours to save energy and protect the night sky.
• Provide the minimum amount of light needed to achieve safe uniform lighting with lights that consume the lowest amount of power possible.
• Fully shield or horizontally flush mount all lights.
• illuminate signs and flags from above and shield all sports lighting.
• Request professionals follow Illuminating Engineering Society guidelines for intensity and uniformity and not to exceed the minimum recommended values.

Options:

• Excessive Brightness can be limited by alternate methods. The simplest method is to limit the number of lumens allowed in a given area of land, such as an acre. This method greatly simplifies compliance determination.
   
• The maximum allowable total lumens generated on each parcel are TBD lumens per net acre with full-cutoff (fco) lighting.
   
• Parcels less than one net acre are allowed fco lumens in a portion equal to the parcel's portion of a net acre.
   
• Lights mounted on the underside of a roof 15 or more feet from any edge of the roof count 1/4 toward the limit. Lights on the underside of a roof less than 15 feet from the edge of the roof count 1/2 toward total lumens.
   
• Waterfront Lighting: All lighting in and around the ponds lakes and other waters of the town shall not be installed or maintained so as to create a hazard to or nuisance to other prosperity owners, navigation or boaters and shall comply with the following.
   
• Lights on docks or piers shall be no more than three (3) feet above the docks or piers. Shall be downward directed, and shall be no more than 550 lumens or less.
   
• Lights illuminating paths, decks etc shall not be directed toward the waters and shall be no more than 1800 lumens or less.
   
• All exterior lighting shall be located, mounted and shielded so that direct illumination is not directed on the water surface more than 20 feet from the shore.

Definitions:

• Lumen: A unit used to measure the actual amount of light that is produced by a light source. The lumen quantifies the amount of light energy produced by a lamp at the lamp, not by the energy input, which is indicated by the "wattage". For example, A 100 watt incandescent light produces 1800 lumens. While a 70-watt high-pressure sodium lamp produces 6000 lumens. Lumen output is listed by the manufacturer on the packaging.
• Glare: The interfering brilliance of a light source at various viewing angles.
• Discomfort Glare causes a sensation of annoyance or pain caused by high luminance in the field of view.
• Disability Glare reduces visual performance due to light scattered in the eye reducing the contrast of the image.
• Foot-candle ("FC") is the basic unit of luminance (the amount of light falling on a surface). Foot-candle measurement is taken with a light meter. One foot-candle is equivalent to the luminance produced on one square foot of surface area by a source of one standard candle at a distance of one foot.
• Horizontal Foot-candles measure the illumination striking a horizontal plane.
• Vertical Foot-candles measure the illumination striking a vertical plane.
• Average Foot-candles the amount of light measured between then brightest and the darkest areas. May be measured at ground level of 3 feet above the ground.
• Light Source: The lamp or enclosing bulb or reflective enclosure.
• Fixture: The assembly that holds the lamp (bulb) in a lighting system. It includes the elements designed to give light output control, such as a reflector (mirror) or refractor (lens), the ballast, housing, and the attachment parts.
• Luminaire: The complete lighting fixture, including the lamp, the housing, and optics.
• Light Trespass: The Light projected onto a property from a fixture not located on that property.
• Full Cutoff: A shielded fixture that directs all light towards the ground by preventing all transmission of light above a horizontal line as specified by the IES (see Appendix 3).
• IES Definitions: Illumination Engineering Society North America Lighting Handbook, most recent edition shall be used for the definition of terms used in this ordnance but not defined herein. In the case of conflict with the terms of this ordnance the most restrictive definition will apply.
• HID Lighting: High intensity discharge lighting, a family of bulb type including mercury vapor, metal halide, high pressure or low pressure sodium, which glow when an electric current is passed through a gas mixture inside the bulb.
• Flood or Spot Light: A light designed to “flood” a well defined are with light, with a reflector or optical assembly that concentrates the light output in a particular direction or spot.( see Appendix 1)
• Holiday Lighting: Festoon type lights, limited to small individual low wattage bulbs on a string.
• Outdoor Lighting: The night time illumination of an outside area or object by a device that produces light by any means.
• Direct Light: Light emitted directly for the lamp, off the reflector or diffuser of a luminaire.
• Indirect Light: Direct light that has been reflected or scattered

Appendix 1:

Unacceptable Fixtures Acceptable Fixtures

http:www.darksky.org/lighting

Diagrams courtesy of Bob Crelin

Appendix 2: How to Develop an Acceptable Lighting Plan

Provide light where it is needed, when it is needed, and in the right amount needed to provide safety and visibility. Do not use excessive lighting. Plans should define the areas for which illumination is planned. Itemizing each area (e.g. parking lot, doorways, walkways, signage,) with the anticipated hours of use. Commercial outdoor lighting should be used for safe pedestrian passage and property identification during active business hours.

Direct light downward to eliminate glare. (See Appendix 3). Specify IES (Illuminating Engineering Society) "Full Cut Off" designated fixtures, so that no light is visible above the lowest light emitting part of the fixture. Top mounted sign lighting is required, provided that the light falls entirely on the sign and is positioned so that the light source (bulb) is not visible from any point off the property or into the roadway. See Appendix 3 for recommended "RLM" (dish) type shields for signs,

Limit Light Trespass. Do not allow light to spill across property lines. Light levels at the property line should not exceed 0.1 foot-candles ten feet inside adjacent business properties, and 0.1 foot-candle at five feet inside residential property boundaries. Try to avoid the use of public utility poles in the right-of-way to mount light fixtures.

Utilize "shut off" controls such as sensors, timers, motion detectors, etc. Install automatic controls or turn off lights when not needed for anticipated pedestrian use.It is recommended that non security lights be extinguished no later than one hour after the close of business. Avoid "dusk-to-dawn" sensors without a middle of the night shut off controls.

Select the correct light source (bulb type). For Commercial “HID” lighting High Pressure Sodium is recommended unless the light is motion sensor activated, in which case incandescent or the instant start compact fluorescent bulbs can be used. Metal Halide (due to its higher costs, including energy use, impact on the environment, and greater contribution to "sky glow") is discouraged.

Ask for assistance. For large projects over 15,000 lumens: greater energy conservation and control of light pollution, light trespass and glare, may be achieved with the help of a professional lighting designer with "dark sky" lighting plan experience.

A post installation inspection should be conducted to check for compliance.Substitutions by electricians and contractors are common and should not be accepted. Note on the final Approved Site Plan that additional exterior fixtures or substitutes are permitted only by permit.

Appendix 3: Definition of Acceptable Fixtures:

"Full Cut Off," "Fully Shielded,"* and RLM shield.

"Full Cut Off" fixtures do not allow any light to be emitted above the fixture. The fixture controls glare by limiting the light output at 10 degrees below the horizontal, to less than 10% of the light output in lumens.

Manufacturers and their representatives can provide photographs of light fixtures as "cut sheets" as well as literature confirming the independently tested "cut off" characteristics of their products.

Photometric layouts for different heights, light sources, and wattages, are also available as "IES" files, upon request or through manufacturers' websites.

"Full cut off" fixtures must be installed properly, so that the bottom of the fixture is level with the ground.

* If the manufacturer is unable to provide the "cut off" characteristics for a fixture (also called a "luminaire"), the following definition needs to be met: "Fully Shielded", which is a fixture constructed and installed in such a manner that all light emitted by it, either directly from the lamp (bulb) or a diffusing element, or indirectly by reflection or refraction from any part of the fixture, is projected below the horizontal. This can be determined by a "field test": a visual assessment of an operating sample.

This is a "RLM" sign lighting shield: