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Edison Council Adopts Outdoor‑Lighting Ordinance to Curb "Light Trespass"
Summary
Edison Township Council adopted an amendment to Chapter 37 (outdoor lighting) after residents and council members debated enforcement and scope; supporters said the change will curb intrusive residential and commercial lighting, while some residents questioned who would be affected and how it would be enforced.
Edison Township Council voted to adopt an amendment to the township—s zoning code regulating outdoor lighting, a measure supporters said will limit "light trespass" from new development and commercial uses.
The ordinance, read into the record by the clerk, sets standards on intensity and placement of outdoor fixtures that the administration said are based on national codes and industry recommendations. Councilman Pato, who led council comments in support of the change, said new multi‑story designs and second‑floor fixtures have led to bright lights bleeding into neighbors' bedrooms and that the ordinance addresses residential and commercial situations.
At the public hearing, a resident objected to the ordinance on grounds of private property rights and asked how the township would enforce brightness limits. The township attorney responded that the municipality has the authority to regulate intensity and positioning and that the measure aligns with existing approval processes for commercial operations.
Council moved to close the public portion, then voted to adopt the ordinance in a roll‑call vote. The council president and members who spoke during the roll call registered affirmative votes; the ordinance will be enforced according to standards described in the new code language and referenced national guidance.
The ordinance drew questions from residents about whether discrete businesses (the speaker referenced Topgolf and national chains) would be targeted; council and the township attorney said the rules are written to address properties that violate the standards, not particular businesses by name. The council president said the ordinance is intended to be a neighborhood‑protection measure and urged residents to report potential violations so the administration can follow up.
The council moved on after adoption to other agenda items. The ordinance's adoption closes the public hearing phase and places the new lighting standards into the township code.
