Outdoor Lighting

On February 25, 2019 the Town Council of the Town of Westlake adopted Ordinance 879 amending the Outdoor Lighting Standards of the Town of Westlake. Standards may also be found in Sec. 102-206 of the Code of Ordinances. In addition, the Comprehensive Plan was amended by Ordinance 878 to establish Urban Lighting Zone districts.

Dark Sky Initiative

The Town of Westlake has always set itself apart from neighboring communities and it makes no exception to that rule with its Outdoor Lighting regulations. The goal of the Outdoor Lighting Initiative is to:

  • Reduce glare caused by poor lighting
  • Reduce light trespassing onto neighboring properties
  • Reduce light pollution of the night sky
  • Reduce over lighting of an area for the task
  • Reduce waste of energy and resources
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Quick Facts

LED Lighting

  • LED lighting is the preferred source for new lighting in the Town
  • LEDs are the most energy efficient lighting and have a longer lasting life than other lighting sources
  • LEDs produce less heat than traditional lighting sources
  • Can be dimmable to reduce brightness

Color Temperature

  • Color temperature is measured in Kelvins (K)
  • The maximum amount of Kelvins for all lighting Town-wide is 3000K
  • Staying below 3000K achieves the following:
    • Reduces light pollution and glare
    • Protects human vision at night
    • Preserves the natural and pastoral aesthetic of the town

Height of Fixtures

Land UseHeight (ft)
Street lighting, right-of-ways, parking areas, nonresidential zoning districts16 feet
Residential zoning districts12 feet
Non-vehicular pedestrian areas8 feet
Fixtures affixed to signalized intersections20 feet

Adaptive Lighting Control

New lighting should aim to achieve one of the below lighting control measures:

  • Automatic Switching System
  • Motion Sensing
  • Dimmable

Plans and Permits

Legal Nonconformance

As of February 25, 2019 all lighting not in compliance with Ordinance 879, but lawfully in place, will have the status of legal-nonconforming. That is, they are allowed to continue in their current state until one of the circumstances stated below occurs:

  • A change or addition to an existing lighting system
  • A change or addition to an existing building which increases the size by more than 20% of the original footprint

Plan Submittal

An outdoor lighting checklist is provided by the Town. All new lighting must include, but not limited to, the following in their plans:

  •  A site plan of the proposed fixture locations
  • A photometric showing luminous area of each fixture measured in foot-candles
  • The average lighting level of the development
  • The lamp type and height of the fixture
  • The type of illumination
  • The cut-off angles
  • The number of lumens and wattage of each fixture
  • The correlated color temperature of each fixture measured in Kelvins

Permit

  • Change in lighting for an existing building, structure, street, parking lots or other outdoor lighting will require an electrical permit.
  • New lighting will reviewed upon submittal of the following:
    • Construction plans for a new development (street lighting)
    • Site Plan and building permit plans for new commercial buildings
    • Building permit plans for a new residence

Resources