The purpose of these lighting regulations is to establish minimum standards for outdoor lighting in order to:

(1)

Provide lighting in outdoor public places that minimizes glare and avoids creating dark areas near well-lit areas so as to protect the public health, safety and welfare.

(2)

Protect drivers and pedestrians from the glare of non-vehicular light sources that shine into their eyes and thereby impair safe travel.

(3)

Protect neighbors and the night sky from nuisance glare and stray or spillover light from poorly shielded, aimed, placed, designed, applied or maintained light sources.

(4)

Promote energy conservation through efficient design and operation of lighting.

(5)

Protect and retain the established character of the town.

(6)

To achieve these purposes, these regulations regulate the direction of light emitted from certain luminaires, and limit the intensity of light on certain adjacent properties, as provided herein.

(1)

These regulations and standards for outdoor lighting shall be required for safety and personal security for uses that operate during hours of darkness where there is public assembly and travel, including, but not limited to, the following uses: multi-family residential, commercial, industrial, public-recreational and institutional use, and on any property within a residential zoning district which is equipped with a high intensity discharge lamp, regardless of its initial lumens.

(2)

The glare-control requirements herein contained apply to lighting in all above-mentioned uses as well as, but not limited to, sign, architectural, landscape, recreational and residential lighting.

(3)

This ordinance does not apply to temporary decorative lighting.

(4)

All outdoor illuminating devices shall be installed in conformance with the provisions of this Code, the Building Code, the Electrical Code, and the sign regulations of the Town of Purcellville as applicable and under appropriate permit and inspection.

(5)

New uses, buildings and major additions or modifications. For all proposed new land uses, developments, buildings, and structures that require a permit, all outdoor lighting fixtures shall meet the requirements of this Code. All building additions or modifications of 25 percent or more in terms of additional dwelling units, gross floor area, or parking spaces, either with a single addition or with cumulative additions subsequent to the effective date of this provision, shall invoke the requirements of this Code for the entire property, including previously installed and any new outdoor lighting. Cumulative modification or replacement of outdoor lighting constituting 25 percent or more of the permitted lumens for the parcel, no matter the actual amount of lighting already on a nonconforming site, shall constitute a major addition for purposes of this section.

(6)

Resumption of use after abandonment. If a property or use with nonconforming lighting is abandoned as defined herein, then all outdoor lighting shall be reviewed and brought into compliance with this Code before the use is resumed.

The following definitions shall apply in the implementation and enforcement of these outdoor lighting regulations:

The following outdoor lighting and related acts shall be exempt from the requirements of these outdoor lighting regulations:

(1)

Lighting which is not subject to this chapter by state or federal law.

(2)

Construction, agricultural, emergency or holiday decorative lighting, provided that the lighting is temporary, and is discontinued within seven days upon completion of the project or holiday for which the lighting was provided.

(3)

Security lighting controlled by sensors which provides illumination for 15 minutes or less. All such lighting shall be directed downward to the site and shall not trespass onto adjacent properties.

(4)

The replacement of an inoperable lamp or component which is in a luminaire that was installed prior to the date of adoption of this section. However, such lamps shall conform to the most current regulations.

(5)

The replacement of a failed or damaged luminaire which is one of a matching group serving a common purpose.

(6)

Lighting for state-maintained roadways is exempt from the provisions of this Code. This code does not apply to light sources on public utility poles in the public rights-of-way or to public street lights.

(7)

Lighting for parking lots owned by the Town of Purcellville is exempt from the provisions of this Code. This exemption is to enable the town to design and install context sensitive lighting that provides for illumination of the public parking lot and adjacent public rights-of-way and sidewalks.

(8)

Lighting for publicly owned recreation/sports fields and courts in existence prior to the adoption of this ordinance is exempt from the maximum light levels at adjoining property lines and rights-of-way as required by Section 6.8(1)(d) of this ordinance provided that the field is located closer than 25 feet to any adjoining right-of-way or property line and provided that such lighting project has obtained the necessary approval of a special use permit in accordance with Article 10 of this ordinance.

(1)

Request; renewal; information required. Any person may submit, on a form prepared by the jurisdiction, to the designated official, a temporary exemption request. The request shall contain the following information:

(a)

Specific code exemption(s) requested;

(b)

Purpose of proposed lighting;

(c)

Duration of requested exemption(s);

(d)

Information for each luminaire and lamp combination as required herein;

(e)

Proposed location on premises of the proposed light fixture(s);

(f)

Previous temporary exemptions, if any, and addresses of premises thereunder;

(g)

Such other data and information as may be required by the designated official.

(2)

Approval; duration. The designated official shall have ten business days from the date of submission of the request for temporary exemption to act, in writing, on the request. If approved, the exemption shall be valid for not more than 30 days from the date of issuance of the approval. The approval shall be renewable upon further written request, at the discretion of the designated official, for a maximum of one additional 30-day period. The designated official is not authorized to grant more than one temporary permit and one renewal for a 30-day period for the same property within one calendar year.

(3)

Disapproval; appeal. If the request for temporary exemption or its extension is disapproved, the person making the request will have the appeal rights provided herein.

The following elements shall be prohibited:

(1)

Laser source light or any similar high intensity light when projected above the horizontal plane.

(2)

Searchlights for advertising or for other non-public safety purposes.

(3)

Outdoor advertising off-site signs.

(4)

Reflective mountings.

(5)

Exterior exposed neon tube lighting.

For subdivision, site plan and other land-development applications where site lighting subject to these provisions is required or proposed, lighting plans shall be submitted to the town for review and approval in conjunction with such development applications, and shall include:

(1)

A site plan, complete with all structures, parking spaces, building entrances, traffic areas (both vehicular and pedestrian), vegetation that might interfere with lighting, and adjacent uses that might be adversely impacted by the lighting, and a layout of all proposed fixtures by location, mounting height and type. The submittal shall include in addition to area lighting, architectural lighting, building entrance lighting, landscape lighting, etc.

(2)

Description of the proposed equipment, including fixture catalog cuts, photometrics, glare reduction devices, lamps, on/off control devices, mounting heights, pole foundation details and mounting methods. A pole foundation detail is to be provided on the plan.

(3)

A visual impact plan that demonstrates appropriate steps have been taken to mitigate on-site and off-site glare and light trespass and to retain the town's intended character.

The following standards shall apply to each outdoor luminaire:

(1)

Design.

(a)

Except as provided herein, each outdoor luminaire subject to these outdoor lighting regulations shall be a full cutoff luminaire or a decorative luminaire with full cutoff optics and shall be mounted horizontally.

(b)

If a luminaire is equipped with more than one lamp, the lumens of the lamp with the highest initial lumens shall determine the lumens emitted.

(c)

Light sources shall not cast glare upon adjacent property or upon a public right-of-way. Except as provided in Section 6.8(1)(d) below for sports field/court lights, the intensity at adjoining streets and commercial and industrial properties shall not exceed 0.5 foot-candles, and the intensity at the adjoining residential or institutional properties shall not exceed 0.1 foot-candles.

(d)

Except as provided in subsection Section 6.4(8) above, sports field/court lighting shall not cast glare upon adjacent property or upon a public right-of-way. The intensity at adjoining streets and commercial and industrial properties shall not exceed 2.00 foot-candles. The intensity at adjoining residential properties shall not exceed 0.8 foot-candles.

i.

The fixtures shall be designed and shielded to redirect spill light onto the playing field/court, reduce glare, and reduce sky glow to the greatest extent possible.

ii.

Hours of operation for the lighting system for any game or event shall not exceed one hour after the end of the event. The use of any outdoor field/court lighting shall not be permitted between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 11:00 a.m. unless otherwise approved by the town council as a part of a special use permit application.

iii.

The mounting height of outdoor sports field lighting fixtures shall not exceed 60 feet above finished grade unless otherwise approved by the town council as a part of a special use permit application.

iv.

A sports field/court illumination plan shall be submitted with the special use permit application. The plan shall provide the location and height of all proposed lighting fixtures and a photometric diagram showing lighting levels for the proposed playing field/court. The plan shall also show light levels at adjoining rights-of-way and property lines.

v.

For the purposes of this ordinance, these standards shall exclude lighting for other components of such facilities such as but not limited to administrative offices, concession stands, ticket sales, restrooms, and parking lots.

(e)

Control of nuisance and disabling glare:

i.

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 hazard to drivers or pedestrians by impairing their ability to safely traverse and so as not to create a nuisance by projecting or reflecting objectionable light onto a neighboring use or property. All outdoor light fixtures shall be shielded in such a manner that no light is emitted above a horizontal plane passing through the lowest point of the light-emitting element, so that direct light emitted above the horizontal plan is eliminated, except as provided for in Subparagraph (8).

ii.

All outdoor lighting fixtures that light the area under outdoor canopies shall be shielded in such a manner that no light is emitted above a horizontal plane passing through the lowest point of the light-emitting element, so that direct light emitted above the horizontal plane is eliminated.

iii.

Unless otherwise permitted by the zoning administrator, e.g., for safety or security or businesses that operate all night, lighting for commercial, industrial, public recreational and institutional applications shall be controlled by automatic switching devices such as time clocks or combination motion detectors and photocells, to permit extinguishing outdoor lighting fixtures between 11:00 p.m. and dawn, to reduce energy waste and mitigate nuisance glare and sky-lighting consequences.

iv.

Lighting proposed for use after 11:00 p.m., or after normal hours of operation of a business, whichever is earlier, for commercial, industrial, institutional or municipal applications, shall be reduced by at least 50 percent from then until dawn, unless supporting a specific purpose and approved by the zoning administrator.

v.

All illumination for advertising signs, buildings and/or surrounding landscapes for decorative, advertising or esthetic purposes is prohibited between 11:00 p.m. and sunrise, except that such lighting situated on the premises of a commercial establishment may remain illuminated while the establishment is actually open for business, and until one hour after closing.

vi.

Vegetation screens shall not be employed to serve as the primary means for controlling glare. Rather, glare control shall be achieved primarily through the use of such means as cutoff fixtures, shields and baffles, and appropriate application of fixture mounting height, wattage, aiming angle and fixture placement.

vii.

Externally illuminated signs or ornamental structures shall be lighted by fixtures that are screened from view of all public rights-of-way and adjoining properties. Such lighting shall be automatically extinguished between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and dawn except as specifically approved by the zoning administrator for sign lighting on the premises of all-night commercial operations. All such fixtures shall be designed or fitted to concentrate the light output onto and not beyond the sign so as to prohibit glare or light trespass to adjacent properties or public rights-of-way or light pollution to the night sky.

viii.

Glare shall be prevented through the use of light diffusers such as translucent glass, or lenses which direct lights rays to prevent glare.

ix.

Lighting for large outdoor spaces such as parking lots and businesses must direct perimeter lights inward and toward the main structures of the site instead of allowing light to trespass onto adjacent properties.

(2)

Installation.

(a)

Electrical feeds for fixtures mounted on poles shall be run underground, not overhead.

(b)

Poles supporting lighting fixtures for the illumination of parking areas and located directly behind parking spaces, shall be placed a minimum of five feet outside paved area, curbing or tire stops, or on concrete pedestals at least 30 inches high above the pavement, or suitably protected by other approved means.

(c)

Except as specifically approved by the zoning administrator or otherwise provided for herein, fixtures meeting IESNA full-cutoff criteria shall not be mounted in excess of 20 feet above finished grade. Fixtures not meeting IESNA "cutoff" criteria, when specifically approved by the zoning administrator, shall not be mounted in excess of 16 feet above grade.

(d)

Light poles shall be no greater than 20 feet in a residential district or mixed-use district, nor 25 feet in a commercial or industrial district.

(3)

Maintenance. Lighting fixtures and ancillary equipment shall be maintained so as always to meet the requirements of this ordinance.

(1)

Required performance level. All uses, operations and activities shall be conducted so as to comply with the performance standards governing glare prescribed below.

(2)

Method of measurement. Illumination levels shall be measured with a photoelectric photometer having a spectral response similar to that of the human eye, following the standard spectral luminous efficiency curve adopted by the International Commission on Illumination.

(3)

General requirements. Uses subject to Group I and Group II standards shall not produce glare so as to cause illumination in R districts in excess of 0.5 foot-candles. Flickering or bright sources of illumination shall be controlled so as not to be a nuisance in R districts.

(4)

Group I and group II standards. Uses subject to the International Commission on Illumination Group I and Group II standards shall limit the use of light sources and illumination surfaces which are located in or are within 500 feet of and visible within any R district so as to comply with the light intensities indicated in Table III below:

Any lighting fixture or lighting installation existing on the effective date of this ordinance that does not conform with the requirements of this ordinance, shall be considered as a lawful nonconformance subject to the following:

(1)

Unless minor corrective action is deemed by the town to be an acceptable alternative, a nonconforming lighting fixture or lighting installation shall be made to conform with the applicable requirements of this ordinance when:

(a)

It is deemed by the town to create a safety hazard.

(b)

It is replaced, abandoned or relocated.

(c)

There is a change in use of the property on which the area being illuminated in located.