Planning commission debates enforcement, standing and payment rules in proposed lighting ordinance

The Yamhill Planning Commission discussed the draft lighting ordinance at length, centering on enforcement, who has standing to complain about light trespass, and whether the city must pay to correct offending fixtures.

Commission staff and commissioners agreed to exclude streetlights from city-funded mitigation and to treat enforcement for other lighting as a complaint-driven process. Commissioners asked staff to write clearer standing language that limits formal complaints to instances where light is trespassing onto a private property rather than mere visibility from a window. Staff said the draft ordinance will state that the person or property owner causing the trespass is responsible for correcting the violation and paying for any required shielding or fixture changes.

"I think the issue has to come and, again, Shelly could probably…