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Glendale staff propose lighting code update to reflect LED era; council asks for edits and tabling
Summary
Transportation staff presented updates to City Code Chapter 26.5 to reduce light trespass, promote LED and smart lighting, and add modern definitions. Council members raised concerns about private property application, flag lighting exceptions, historic fixtures and penalty language and asked staff to return with edits; council tabled further action.
Transportation staff outlined proposed updates to Glendale’s outdoor‑lighting code on April 14, saying existing language has not been revised since 1986 and needs modernization for LED and smart technologies.
“[The ordinance’s] goal is to guide and manage outdoor lighting,” the deputy transportation director said, describing the changes as intended to reduce light trespass and glare, focus lighting where needed and improve energy efficiency through LED fixtures.
Staff emphasized the update would not make Glendale a dark‑sky city and said the changes focus on shielding, color temperature guidance and definitions for adaptive or activated lighting. They said the municipal code has not been substantially updated in 38 years and that the proposed language would formalize practices already applied to new developments.
Council members questioned whether the code would apply citywide and how existing fixtures would be treated. Staff replied the ordinance would apply to city‑owned facilities and development citywide; existing fixtures would generally be grandfathered until the end of their useful life and replaced with compliant LEDs when they need replacement. Downtown business owners, some council members said, want the historic lamp posts to keep their appearance while allowing LED retrofits; staff said retrofit solutions are available and that staff would seek consensus on color temperature and fixture style.
Council also pressed staff to add explicit exceptions and clarifications for common cases — for example, lighting required for U.S. flags at night — and to revisit the proposal’s enforcement and penalty language. One councilmember noted the chapter currently allows a civil infraction fine of $300 per day and asked whether that remains appropriate.
After discussion, council asked staff to incorporate feedback, draft specific grandfathering language and flag‑lighting exceptions, review penalty language and return with a revised ordinance for additional workshop review. Council did not adopt code changes at the workshop and directed staff to return with a revised draft before advancing the ordinance to a formal vote.
What’s next: staff will update the draft ordinance to reflect council feedback and present language and a proposed enforcement scheme at a subsequent workshop before any code amendment is scheduled for adoption.
