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Palm Desert weighs tighter rules on commercial exterior lighting to protect nightscape and aesthetics
Summary
Staff proposed restricting colored/neon facade and window lighting, allowing low-lumen white string lights for patios, and routing facade lighting through ARC design review; council asked staff to analyze business costs, corridor exceptions near the I-10, and objective lumen/white-light standards to avoid subjective enforcement.
Palm Desert staff revisited proposed regulations for commercial exterior lighting on Aug. 28, asking council for direction on what types of building, facade and window lighting to allow and how to administer review.
Seehee Fernandez (Development Services) told council that Chapter 24 of the city s code defines outdoor lighting types but lacks guidance for decorative and architectural lighting. Fernandez compared Palm Desert s approach to neighboring cities and said Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells discourage or prohibit facade and window lighting. The stated policy intent was to reduce light pollution and preserve nighttime environment while balancing business visibility and safety.
Council examined photos of local examples (including restaurants and storefronts) and discussed distinctions between architectural building lighting and string/patio lights. Fernandez and council agreed that low-lumen white string lights intended for outdoor dining ambience are generally acceptable, while colored neon window framing and facade lighting should be discouraged or subjected to ARC (Architectural Review Commission) design review. Fernandez said facade lighting that fails ARC review would need to be removed; staff also offered to consider corridor-specific allowances (for visibility along the I-10 freeway and the freeway commercial overlay).
Councilmembers raised concerns about the financial burden of removing existing lighting and asked staff to provide objective standards (lumen caps, white-light requirements) to avoid subjective enforcement. Several members noted past code-enforcement visits related to safety, homelessness and nuisance issues and asked staff to coordinate with business owners so rules account for security and visibility needs.
Where things stand: Council asked staff to refine proposed standards to include objective lumen or color guidance, consider overlay/corridor exceptions for I-10 visibility, and analyze cost impacts on businesses before returning with ordinance or code changes. No final ordinance was adopted at the session.
