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Resident urges DeRidder to enforce shielding rules after glare from commercial lights
Summary
A DeRidder resident told the council that bright, unshielded commercial lighting is causing hazardous glare and violating the city’s zoning code; he asked code enforcement to perform a post-sunset site visit and require inexpensive shielding measures to comply with ordinances.
A resident urged the DeRidder City Council to enforce city lighting rules after bright commercial fixtures produced glare, deep shadows and safety concerns for nearby homes.
The speaker cited the DeRidder Code of Ordinances — referencing Article 7, Section 15-41 and related zoning provisions — and said the business’s fixtures fail to “reflect the light away from the adjoining residential districts.” He told the council the code requires commercial lighting to be shielded and downward directed and that a site-obscuring fence or wall at least 6 feet high should serve as a buffer. “We’re not asking for a major construction project or for a total replacement. We’re simply asking for shielding, which is a standard and inexpensive retrofit,” he said.
The resident asked the city’s code enforcement office to conduct a site visit after sunset to document violations and require the property owner to bring the fixtures into compliance. He also asserted that nuisance and light trespass should not be grandfathered when they interfere with residents’ health and safety.
Council members acknowledged the complaint and said they would look into the photos presented at the meeting. The mayor and staff did not commit to a specific enforcement timeline on the record.
The council did not take a formal vote on the matter during the meeting; next steps depend on follow-up by city staff and any formal complaint filed with code enforcement.
