Kennedale adopts light‑trespass ordinance with 45‑day holiday exemption and a 0.5 foot‑candle guideline

The Kennedale City Council voted 4–1 to amend the city nuisance code to address outdoor light trespass, adding a new section to Chapter 15 that declares certain off‑property illumination a nuisance and describes enforcement procedures.

Planner/staff member Nathan Gonzales told council staff had purchased a light meter to measure illumination and explained how the proposed standard would work in practice: "If you back up a little further which would be equivalent to your neighboring property... that's where you would experience half a foot candle," he said, describing an example distance of roughly 20–30 feet from a bright display. Gonzales said staff can take a measurement at an adjacent property line and work with property owners to shield lights or redirect fixtures.

Council members pressed for details about exemptions and timing. The ordinance includes an exemption for holiday decorations (up to 45 days in advance of the holiday) and explicit exemptions for recreational and sporting events, school facilities, park lighting and similar public uses. The ordinance sets a typical three‑month compliance window for existing nonconforming luminaries, though staff said many fixes (shielding, aiming) can be done immediately.

Councilman Nevers and others said the exemptions address earlier concerns about holiday displays. A councilmember who had sponsored the ordinance said the draft "meets the original intent" and is clearer and easier to understand than previous versions.

The ordinance also contemplates working with businesses — including car lots and other commercial properties — to add downcast shielding to maintain security lighting while reducing off‑site glare. The council approved the ordinance 4–1.

Next steps include finalizing the ordinance language in codified form and deploying staff measurement procedures with the new light meter.