Lighting Ordinance
Update
City Council
April 7, 2025 www.cityofpaloalto.org
1 Purpose
• Council Priority 2024: Climate Change & Natural Environment:
“Initiate an evaluation of strategies to protect natural habitats such as bird safe glass and wildlife protection from light pollution.”
• Dark Sky principles: an effort to return the sky to its natural dark sky, to the extent feasible, by reducing light pollution. 2 Draft Ordinance (includes PTC feedback)
• Applies to new construction, major renovation, and new outdoor lighting.
• Lighting Standards:
• Fully shielded lighting directed downwards.
• Warmer lights at a maximum of 2700 Kelvins.
• Lighting curfew at 10:00 p.m. or motion sensor to turn off within 5 minutes (reduced from 10 minutes per PTC).
• Low Density residential lighting measured in lumen.
• Includes exemptions and exceptions.
• Specific requirements for special purpose lighting.
3 PTC Recommendation
Elements of PTC recommendation that are partially included in Draft Ordinance:
• PTC recommended expanding applicability to new
and replacement of existing lighting.
• Apply only to new luminaires, to reduce impact on
enforcement and cost burden on small projects.
• PTC recommended a hardship exception process for historic resources and financial burden.
• Exception for historic resources included only, given difficulty in differentiating lighting cost to establish financial burden.
4 PTC Recommendation
Elements of PTC recommendation not included in the Draft Ordinance:
• Change light trespass allowance from 0.5 foot-candle to
0.1. • Maintain previous staff recommendation at 0.5 due to difficulty of implementation.
Additional action PTC recommended for consideration:
• Further outreach at the time of implementation, and
possible future efforts for interior commercial lighting.
5 Public Feedback
• Feedback received at Architectural Review Board and
Planning & Transportation Commission hearings.
• Numerous comments from environmental advocates
supported the effort and asking for more, including request that existing lighting comply with new regulations.
• Community member concerns that the new outdoor lighting regulations are too prescriptive and negatively impact safety. 6 Staff Recommendation & Next Steps
• Adopt the Draft Ordinance to implement new outdoor lighting regulations:
• Updating PAMC Section 18.40.250 (Lighting), and
• Amending PAMC Chapters 18.10, 18.12, 18.28, and Section 18.40.230. • Next steps:
• Second reading of the ordinance.
• Additional outreach explaining new regulations.
KELLY CHA
Senior Planner
[email protected]
(650) 329-2155