Chapter 13.15
STREET LIGHTING
Sections:
13.15.010 Purpose and scope.
It is the purpose and scope of this chapter to provide street lighting standards to minimize glare, light trespass, and artificial sky glow for the benefit of the citizens of the City, and to promote lighting design that provides for public safety, utility and productivity while conserving energy and resources by:
A. Using outdoor light fixtures with good optical control to distribute the light in the most effective and efficient manner;
B. Using the minimum amount of light to meet the lighting criteria;
C. Using shielded outdoor light fixtures;
D. Using light emitting diode (LED), or other equivalent energy efficient outdoor light fixtures, with a correlated color temperature (CCT) of 3,000 Kelvin (K) or less; and
E. Energizing outdoor light fixtures only when necessary, by means of photocell devices from dusk to dawn. (Ord. 825 § 3, 2019)
13.15.020 Definitions.
Whenever in this chapter the following terms are used, they shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them in this section:
“Correlated color temperature” or “CCT” means the color temperature measured in Kelvins (K) that describes the overall color tone of a white light source.
“Glare” means difficulty seeing in the presence of bright light such as direct or reflected artificial lights.
“Kelvin” means the unit of measure of the color temperature of light sources.
“Lamp” means a device that produces light.
“LED” means light emitting diode, which is a semiconductor device that converts electricity into light.
“Light trespass” means light falling across property boundaries, onto property not containing the originating light source.
“Lumen” means a quantitative unit measuring the actual amount of visible light produced by a lamp.
“Outdoor light fixture” means an artificial lighting assembly (including lamp, housing, reflectors, lenses and shields) which is permanently installed outdoors including, but not limited to, lights for roadways, walkways, parking lots, open canopies, product display areas, landscape and architectural accents, security, recreational facilities, advertising and decorative effects.
“Person” means any individual, partnership, venture, corporation or entity, the singular of which becomes plural.
“Photocell device” means a clock device which automatically activates and deactivates outdoor light fixtures or circuits.
“Shielding” means a combination of techniques or methods of construction, mounting and focusing which causes all light emitted from an outdoor light fixture, either directly from the lamp or indirectly from the fixture, to be projected below an imaginary horizontal plane passing through the lowest light-emitting point of the fixture (zero up-light rating).
“Sky glow” means visible light in the sky resulting from light that is reflected and/or refracted by water vapor, dust and other gas molecules in the atmosphere.
“Watt” means the unit of measure of the electrical power consumption of a lamp (not the light output). (Ord. 825 § 3, 2019)
13.15.030 General provisions.
A. When not inconsistent with the context, words used in the present tense include the future; words in the singular number include the plural; and those in the plural number include the singular.
B. The word “shall” is mandatory and the word “may” is permissive.
C. Outdoor light fixtures for street lighting and safety lighting at intersections installed after the effective date of this chapter and thereafter maintained shall comply with the following:
1. Only LED, or other equivalent energy efficient outdoor light fixtures, with a CCT of 2,700 Kelvin or less and up to 70 watts shall be utilized, except where otherwise noted in this chapter. Along arterials and collector streets as defined in the Roadway Classifications of the General Plan Transportation Element, only LED, or other equivalent energy efficient outdoor light fixtures, with a CCT of 3,000 Kelvin or less and up to 115 watts shall be utilized. Street lights within rural residential areas shall be limited except where essential for safety and security purposes and where street lights already exist.
2. All outdoor light fixtures shall be equipped with photocell devices so that such lighting is turned on before dusk and off at dawn as much as practical.
3. In order to preserve the night sky, the types, locations and controlling devices of outdoor light fixtures shall minimize glare, upward light and artificial sky glow and light pollution and light trespass (spill-over) onto adjacent properties.
4. All outdoor light fixtures shall be installed in conformity with this chapter, all other applicable provisions of the Poway Municipal Code, the California Building Code, the National Electrical Codes, the California Energy Code and the California Green Building Code. All outdoor light fixtures shall be field inspected and approved prior to requesting energizing or acceptance.
D. Additional standards for street lighting installed on public rights-of-way and private roads are found in the City of Poway Supplemental Engineering Standards. (Ord. 825 § 3, 2019)
13.15.040 Exemptions.
A. All outdoor light fixtures existing and legally installed prior to the effective date of this chapter are exempt from the requirements of this chapter.
B. Temporary uses and holiday lighting not exceeding 45 consecutive days during any one-year period are exempt from the requirements of this chapter.
C. All shielded outdoor light fixtures and other types of lighting producing 4,050 lumens or less are exempt from the requirements of this chapter. (Ord. 825 § 3, 2019)
13.15.050 Conflicts.
Where any provision of the statutes, codes or laws of the United States of America or the State of California conflict with any provision of this chapter, the most restrictive shall apply unless otherwise required by law. (Ord. 825 § 3, 2019)