Buncombe Planning Board reviews proposed outdoor‑lighting text amendments; no votes taken due to lack of quorum

The Buncombe County Planning Board received an introductory presentation on proposed amendments to the county’s outdoor‑lighting ordinance at its Sept. 15 meeting, but did not take any formal votes because a quorum was not present.

Planning staff presented a summary of the package — billed in the meeting as text amendments to the county zoning ordinance (referred to in the meeting as “ZPH 20 20 five‑twenty 4”) — describing changes to definitions, foot‑candle/Kelvin/height tables, exemptions, and compliance procedures. The board heard questions from members and one public commenter, and staff said it will schedule a work session in October and a public hearing in November to continue the process.

Staff framed the proposed changes as targeted updates to reduce light trespass and glare, improve energy efficiency, and clarify inconsistent or vague sections of the current ordinance, which staff said dates from a prior update in 2012. Shannon, the county planner who led the presentation, said the proposal focuses on exterior lighting for commercial and multifamily development and does not regulate single‑family residential interior lighting. "So, yes, today, we are going to talk about the proposed, lighting text amendments," Shannon said.

The staff overview identified a set of specific proposed changes that will be discussed in detail at the work session. Those highlights included: new definitions for accent lighting, facade lighting and electronic message displays; reorganizing foot‑candle, Kelvin and pole‑height standards into tables; adding graphics to illustrate technical concepts;…