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Staff asks planning commission for direction on dark‑sky lighting standards for urban residential streets
Summary
County planner Richard Henrell presented findings on inconsistent outdoor lighting standards across projects and recommended uniform LDC language, a reviewer checklist, and enforcement steps; commissioners asked staff to return with concrete, implementable criteria for perimeter buffering, color temperature, foot‑candle thresholds and inspection procedures.
County planner Richard Henrell presented staff findings on July 16 about gaps in Collier County's current outdoor lighting rules and asked the Planning Commission for direction on potential LDC amendments to address glare, trespass and light spillage.
Henrell said the county's existing code and development orders are inconsistent: "We found that most PUDs, HECS decisions, and SRA project commitments ... have different aspects of conforming to dark sky lighting principles," he told commissioners, noting some approvals regulate correlated color temperature while others use foot‑candles or BUG (backlight‑uplight‑glare) ratings. He recommended a uniform approach that includes clear definitions, a reviewer checklist, and enforcement/inspection protocols so applicants and inspectors can measure compliance.
Commissioners supported staff returning with specific evaluation criteria but expressed caution about requiring full dark‑sky compliance for all commercial projects. Chair (S9) and other commissioners asked staff to include an inspection metric (measured at a property line with handheld meters), clarify where requirements would trigger (perimeter distances), and propose reasonable grandfathering or transition options for existing projects. Staff will bring back draft LDC language and cost estimates for fixtures and enforcement options.
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