3-A-1

Purpose(s) of the regulation. The purpose and intent of this section is to provide a regulatory strategy for outdoor lighting that will permit reasonable use of outdoor lighting for nighttime safety, utility, security, productivity, enjoyment and commerce; curtail and reverse the degradation of the nighttime visual environment and the night sky; preserve the dark night sky for astronomy; minimize glare, obtrusive light and artificial sky glow by limiting outdoor lighting that is misdirected, excessive or unnecessary; conserve energy and resources to the greatest extent possible; and help to protect the natural environment from the damaging effects of night lighting from man-made sources.

3-A-2

Applicability.

1.

All new development, site and subdivision plans, must include locational information regarding street lights and other outdoor lighting to be installed. All street lighting must comply with the latest edition of Augusta's Street and Road Design Technical Manual and be installed concurrently with other public utilities.

2.

All outdoor illuminating devices must be installed in accordance with this section of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance.

3.

All shielded light fixtures shall be installed and maintained as fully shielded fixtures as shown below. Examples of local lighting fixtures on streets and pedestrian facility are presented below (Table 1).

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Table 1: Lighting Fixtures
Unacceptable (Non-cutoff)	Acceptable (Full-cutoff)
Floodlights	Fixtures
Streetlights and dusk to dawn security fixtures	Streetlights
Wall packs	Wall Packs
Colonial-Type	Colonial-Type
Drop-lens canopy fixtures	Flush-mounted canopy fixtures
Sag-lens/Drop-lens with exposed light source

 

3-A-3

Site and development plan requirements.

1.

Type and number of luminary fixtures including cut off characteristics and picture.

2.

Manufacturer cut sheets are permitted.

3.

Lamp source (bulb type), lumen output and wattage

3-A-4

Technical standards.

1.

All luminaires mounted on or recessed into the lower surface of service station canopies and parking structures must be fully shielded and use flat lenses.

2.

Illuminance levels for the interior of parking structures, where interior lighting is visible from outside the structure, must conform to the IESNA recommendation (RP-20).

3.

Lights must not be mounted on the top or sides of a canopy and the sides of a canopy must not be illuminated.

4.

Security lighting must be directed toward the targeted area, and not adjacent properties.

5.

Sensor activated lighting must be located in such a manner as to prevent direct glare and lighting into properties of others or into a public right-of-way, and the light must not be triggered by activity off the property.

6.

Pedestrian Path Lighting

•

Lighting posts must not exceed 16 feet in height from the finished grade.

7.

Commercial parking areas

•

All lighting fixtures servicing parking lots, except floodlights, must be cutoff fixtures, directed downward and not toward buildings or other areas.

•

The minimum illumination level for a parking lot is 0.4 foot-candles at grade level and the ratio of the average illumination to the minimum illumination must not exceed 4:1.

•

Floodlights must be aimed or shielded to minimize up light.

•

Light poles used in parking lots must not exceed 35 feet in height.

8.

All plans and construction details must satisfy Augusta-Richmond County Code Title 7 Building and Construction, Article 3 Street lighting.

9.

Mounted height, total lumens (in foot candles) of all fixtures, and total square footage illuminated area (Table 2).

AMENDED - DECEMBER 2017
ADOPTED - MARCH 2016