Zoning subcommittee backs amended outdoor-lighting rules, lowers fines and adds 21-day compliance window

The Revere City zoning subcommittee voted July 13 to recommend that the full city council consider an amended outdoor-lighting ordinance that removes a holiday-lighting provision, lowers penalties and gives homeowners time to remedy complaints.

Councilor Cogliandro, who offered the amendments, said the changes allow homeowners "21 days to... hire an electrician or have [someone] coming to their home to fix the issue, before there's any sort of fines, and that $300 fine was lowered to 50." The amendments also removed rules governing holiday lighting, Cogliandro said.

The motion to adopt Cogliandro's amendments passed on roll call. The ordinance as amended subsequently received a favorable recommendation from the subcommittee for city-council consideration; the clerk recorded an opposing vote from Councilor Kelly.

Supporters said the package balances residents' concerns about nuisance lighting with allowances for people to fix problems. Several members pressed for clarity on enforcement. Councilor Argencio asked whether the Inspectional Services Department (ISD) inspects at night and what homeowners would need to produce to document a complaint, such as a spec sheet or bulb wattage. Councilor Cogliandro and the chair suggested photo or video evidence could be submitted and staff could contact the property owner to ask them to "turn your lights off" or point fixtures downward.

Jim McCarrie, who provided his address during the meeting, said the building department will need to be informed so that new construction follows the new rules: "when [new construction]... pull a permit... that's gonna have to go over to the building department also." The subcommittee discussed that new homes would have to comply with the standards and that enforcement for existing fixtures could be subjective, particularly regarding glare at night.

Councilor Kelly said she could not support the ordinance in its current form because the glare standard is subjective and "still too subjective to" determine when a nuisance occurs.

The clerk recorded roll-call votes on the amendments and on the ordinance as amended; the clerk announced the amendments had passed and that the ordinance as amended received a favorable recommendation to the full city council for consideration.

Next steps: the ordinance as amended will be placed before the full Revere City Council for final consideration.