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Depoe Bay planning commission reviews exterior lighting ordinance draft
Summary
The Depoe Bay Planning Commission reviewed a draft exterior-lighting code amendment that would set lumen caps, require shielding and give the city a certified light meter for nuisance enforcement; commissioners discussed marine-lighting exemptions and a 5-year phase-in. No vote was taken; staff will revise and send to council.
The Depoe Bay Planning Commission reviewed a draft quality-of-life code amendment on exterior lighting, focusing on numeric lumen limits, enforcement and exemptions for marine navigation and public-safety lights.
The ordinance draft, returned to the commission by the city council for further consideration, sets a cap for single-family properties (no individual fixture to exceed 850 lumens and a total-property cap of 4,000 lumens, 6,000 if an accessory dwelling is present) and slightly higher thresholds for duplex, multifamily and nonresidential properties. "Single family residential says no individual light fixture may exceed 850 lumens," the chair said during the meeting.
Commissioners emphasized enforcement mechanics. Under the draft, violations would be established by measuring light at the property line; any initial citizen reading would be confirmed with a city-certified light meter before formal action. Commissioners discussed who qualifies as an enforcement officer and recommended the city adopt a standardized meter and train designated staff to use it. The draft also references existing nuisance-ordinance procedures as the enforcement path, and a $500-per-violation fine is listed in the proposal.
The commission debated whether to pursue a zoning-code text amendment (a longer process with wider public notice) or to include standards in the nuisance ordinance (a quicker path). Several members said the council must decide the legislative route; staff will incorporate the commission's recommendations and provide a revised draft to the council.
Marine and harbor lighting were a recurring topic. The draft exempts coast-guard navigation and other public-safety fixtures but includes language that would phase out certain nonessential marine lighting: existing marine fixtures would be required to be turned off at night per a schedule (April–September: off between 11 p.m. and sunrise; October–March: off between 9 p.m. and sunrise) and not repaired when they reach the end of their useful life.
A public commenter, resident Pete Eckert, urged a specific prohibition on strobe-style lights that neighbors have used to harass households, including elderly residents, and offered video evidence to staff. Commissioners said the broad lumen- and property-line approach in the draft should capture strobes as well as continuous bright fixtures, but they flagged practical enforcement questions — for example, that an owner could switch a light off when a city inspector arrived.
Commissioners also agreed to remove references to a "dark sky" lighting-plan requirement and to instead require compliance with the ordinance's shielding and baffling provisions; they asked staff to verify and correct any outside-standard citations (for instance, Illuminating Engineering Society references) and to use language tying referenced standards to the "most current version" where appropriate.
Next steps: staff will update the draft to reflect the commission's edits, double-check external citations and prepare the ordinance for the council's consideration. The council will decide whether to initiate a formal text-amendment process and whether the planning commission should hold a public hearing.
