Foster council continues public hearing on proposed dark‑sky ordinance after mixed public comments

The Foster Town Council continued its public hearing on a proposed dark‑sky lighting ordinance after residents, planning‑board members and the land trust discussed how the rules should apply to businesses, new development and existing homes.

Linda Tibbetts, chair of the Foster Land Trust, told the council the town has 526 acres of contiguous, unfragmented forest in what she called the Tom Woods Preserve and said the ordinance would help protect those lands by limiting light spill from new development. "...the Dark Skies proposal benefits the townspeople. It doesn't take anything away from them," Tibbetts said during public comment, noting the land trust's parcels were acquired with OpenSpace and Greenways grants beginning in February 2003.

Susan Joyce, a member of the Planning Board, opened the formal portion of the hearing and described the ordinance as implementing a goal of Foster’s comprehensive plan and using model language from other towns. Joyce said the proposed code aims to prevent light nuisance, preserve rural character and promote energy efficiency.

Council members and residents debated whether the ordinance should apply to single‑family homes. One council member said residential fixtures are difficult to regulate because existing fixtures are common and changes may be hard to detect. Resident Lynn Reiner Burgess and others said growth and higher density can increase ambient light and argued some residential controls might be appropriate. Resident Adam Daco said he opposed expanded regulation and warned it could “weaponize neighbor against neighbor.”

Planning‑board members and other residents noted a practical middle ground: require dark‑sky standards for commercial and new mixed‑use or higher‑density projects while clarifying how to handle existing single‑family fixtures. Joyce and the council discussed language to exempt or grandfather existing fixtures or to limit the ordinance to new development and changes that require permits.

After discussion, the council voted to continue the public hearing on the chapter 18 (dark‑sky) ordinances to April 24, 2025, so staff and the planning board can produce revisions addressing the council’s concerns. A council member asked staff to prepare specific wording changes (for example, clarifying whether single‑family homes are exempt and how mixed‑use conversions will be handled) for the next hearing.

The continuation preserves the record for further public comment and does not adopt any new restrictions at this meeting.