Rangeley committee adopts package of lighting and dark‑sky definitions, sends text to legal

The Rangeley Ordinance Committee on Oct. 15 moved to add a set of definitions related to outdoor lighting and dark‑sky compliance to Chapter 38 and to send the revised text to legal review.

The committee approved definitions for fully shielded fixture, light pollution, light source, light trespass, lumen, recreational lighting, security lights, spot‑type luminaries (also known as spotlights), string mini lights, string lights, festoon/party lights, and correlated color temperature. Val (Ordinance Committee member) moved to approve the definitions “as reviewed and amended,” and Scott (Ordinance Committee member) seconded the motion; the committee recorded the vote as unanimous.

Committee members said the intent is to centralize lighting definitions in the chapter’s general definitions section so the terms are consistent across the ordinance. Marty (staff member) and other participants flagged several existing references and overlapping definitions in the sign ordinance and other sections; committee members agreed to remove definitions that already appear in recently adopted sign language rather than risk conflicting text.

Members discussed specific items before the vote, including removing “internally illuminated” from the draft because that term already appears in the sign ordinance (38.10.020.16, as referenced at the meeting), and deleting a separate “tower” definition to avoid conflict with earlier alternative‑energy language. The committee kept the term fully shielded (used in the light‑shielding standard) and resolved to retain a correlated color temperature (CCT) definition because the ordinance contains a numeric cap on CCT (the draft language includes “not to exceed 3,000” for CCT).

Committee members also reviewed and consolidated several lighting terms to ensure the new definitions match how words appear in the ordinance’s lighting standards (for example, using “spot‑type luminary” with “spotlight” in parentheses to aid reader understanding). They noted some proposed definitions — listed in the packet provided to committee members — that appear unused in the current draft and agreed to remove or revisit those entries (for example, architectural/accent lighting was flagged as unnecessary for the town’s ordinance and excluded from the adopted list).

Following the discussion the committee asked staff to forward the adopted definitions to legal for formal review and to check for any necessary edits elsewhere in Chapter 38 that would be affected by the new centralized definitions. Marty confirmed the lighting text will go to legal; committee members said they do not plan to re-send items that already went to voters for sign language (internally illuminated) but will ensure definitions and cross‑references are consistent.

The committee’s action completes the lighting/dark‑sky definitions portion of the committee’s current work plan; further drafting and cross‑checking with the sign ordinance will follow legal review.