8-3-8: LIGHTING:

   A.   Purpose: This Section provides standards on the types, construction, installation, and uses of outdoor lighting to conserve energy, regulate glare, prevent the creation of a nuisance, and enhance nighttime enjoyment of properties in Ada County without decreasing safety, utility, or security.

   B.   Applicability: These regulations apply to the following uses and activities:

      1.   Any proposed development requiring master site plan approval.

      2.   Any stationary outdoor lighting in common areas of a planned unit development or subdivision.

      3.   Installation, change, upgrade, expansion, or enlargement of existing outdoor lighting.

   C.   Exempt: The following types of lighting are exempt from these regulations:

      1.   Light fixtures that have a maximum output of less than two hundred sixty (260) lumens.

      2.   All outdoor lighting produced by the direct combustion of natural gas or other fossil fuels such as kerosene lanterns or gas lamps.

      3.   Temporary holiday lighting used for forty (40) days or less per year.

      4.   Vehicular lights and all temporary emergency lighting needed for fire protection, police protection, and/or other emergency services.

      5.   All hazard warning lights required by federal or state regulatory agencies.

      6.   Streetlights installed by the Ada County Highway District or Idaho Department of Transportation in accordance with subsection F7b of this Section.

   D.   Prohibited: The installation of any of the following types of lighting are prohibited:

      1.   Mercury vapor lamp fixture and/or lamp.

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

      3.   Changing colors, moving lights, or searchlights (for advertising purposes) are prohibited in all districts, except when approval has been obtained for temporary uses.

      4.   Lighting, including holiday lighting, on commercial or private tower structures that exceed the district height limit is prohibited except as required by regulations of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

   E.   Process:

      1.   A master site plan requires a lighting plan for any proposed outdoor lighting.

      2.   The lighting plan shall show the location, orientation, and height of all proposed exterior light fixtures, both attached and detached (including those that may be exempt from these regulations). The lighting plan shall also detail the type and extent of shielding including cut off angles and the type of illumination including the watts, luminous area, and photometric test report for each light source.

   F.   Standards:

      1.   Two Hundred Sixty (260) Lumens Or More: Light fixtures that have a maximum output of two hundred sixty (260) lumens or more shall have an opaque top to prevent up lighting.

      2.   One Thousand (1,000) Lumens Or More: Light fixtures that have a maximum output of one thousand (1,000) lumens or more per fixture shall have an opaque top to prevent up lighting and the bulb shall not be visible.

      3.   One Thousand Eight Hundred (1,800) Lumens Or More: Light fixtures that have a maximum output of one thousand eight hundred (1,800) lumens or more shall have a "full cut off shield." See Figure 8-3-8-1.

      4.    Floodlight Fixtures: Floodlight fixture location shall prevent direct glare into a roadway and minimize impact on abutting properties.

         a.   Floodlight fixtures shall be set to only go on when triggered by activity on the property (sensor activated) and to go off within five (5) minutes after activation has ceased.

         b.   Installed floodlight fixtures shall not tilt more than forty-five degrees (45°) from vertical.

      5.   Up Lighting: Up lighting is only allowed in cases where the fixture and any light it emits are shielded from the sky by a roof overhang or similar structural shield.

      6.   Display And Security Lighting: Display lighting shall turn off within thirty (30) minutes after close of business and shall remain off until sunrise or the opening of the business on the following day, whichever comes first. There are no time restrictions regarding security lighting.

      7.   Installed Height Of Fixture:

         a.   The height of a freestanding light fixture shall not exceed twenty-five feet (25') or the height of the principal permitted structure, whichever is less. Light fixtures mounted on a wall may extend to the full height of the structure, but no farther.

         b.   The following standards apply to floodlight fixtures with a maximum output of nine hundred (900) lumens or more and other light fixtures that have a maximum output of one thousand eight hundred (1,800) lumens or more. Streetlights installed by the Ada County Highway District or Idaho Department of Transportation are exempt from these standards.

            (1)   Within a commercial or industrial base district, or a commercial or industrial type use within a rural or transitional base district, the effective zone of light (as documented by the photometric test report) shall not trespass on abutting residential properties. See Figure 8-3-8-2 of this Title.

         (2)    Within a rural, transitio nal, or resident ial base district, the allowed height shall be determined by the setback from the property line established in Table 8-3-8-1 Height of Light Fixtures below.

      8.   Underground Electrical Feeds: Electrical feeds to outdoor light fixtures shall be underground, and not overhead.

      9.   Neon Illumination: Rural base districts prohibit neon illumination.

   G.   Required Finding: In order to approve the application, a finding must be made that the proposed lighting plan complies with the standards listed in subsection F of this Chapter.

(Ord. 1002, 10-28-2025)