City of Livonia Outdoor Lighitng Policy

CITY OF LIVONIA
OUTDOOR LIGHTING POLICY

The City of Livonia finds it necessary to establish guidelines for the installation of exterior lighting in all non-residential zoning districts. The purpose and intent of establishing these guidelines are as follows:

To reduce glare and light pollution as a result of unnecessary and improperly designed light fixtures.
To prevent light trespass into residential homes.
To provide safe roadways for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.
To conserve energy by promoting efficient and cost effective lighting.
To allow for flexibility in the style of lighting fixtures.
To provide sufficient illumination for safety, convenience and security.
To assist residents, business and property owners, city departments, the Planning Commission, City Council, and other governmental agencies in bringing outdoor lighting into conformance with the purposes of this policy.

The City of Livonia Inspection Department shall consider the following guidelines and criteria at the time a building permit is applied for, and in the case of projects that require the review and approval of a site plan by the Planning Commission and/or City Council, such guidelines shall be considered as part of the site plan review process. The Inspection Department or Planning Department may request additional information, as it deems necessary in determining whether or not the following guidelines are being met. Such information may include, but shall not be limited to: lighting plans with a layout of the proposed fixture locations photometric data showing the spatial distribution of the output of the proposed fixtures, and manufacturers catalog cuts that present a description of the equipment, including glare reduction devices, lamps, and mounting heights.
1) All light fixtures should be located, aimed or shielded so as to minimize stray light trespassing across property boundaries.
2) Pole mounted lights should not exceed a height of 20 feet as measured from the surface of the parking lot or ground surrounding the base of the proposed light fixture. Exceptions will be allowed in cases where there are unique circumstances due to topography, or the location and size of the parking lot in relation to residential districts and public thoroughfares is such that increasing the height of the light poles will not cause a nuisance or result in any safety hazards.
3) Flat lens "shoebox" or full cutoff design with horizontally aligned flush-mounted (non-protruding) lens style light fixtures are preferred over sag-lens or drop lens fixtures, which tend to waste energy and produce unnecessary glare.
4) Any canopy structures should have recessed lights with diffusers, which do not extend below the surface of the canopy. Canopy mounted sag-lens or drop lens fixtures are discouraged.
5) Where security is a concern, fluorescent and metal halide lamps are preferred source of outdoor lighting.
6) Directional fixtures such as floodlights, spot lights and sign lights should be installed or aimed so that they do not shine directly into the window of a neighboring residence, directly into a roadway, or skyward. Photocells with timers that allow a floodlight to go on at dusk and off by 11:00 p.m. are encouraged.
7) All outdoor light fixtures should be equipped with or be capable of being back fitted with light directing devices such as shields, visors or hoods when necessary to redirect offending light distribution.
8) All non-essential exterior lighting is encouraged to be turned off after business hours and/or when not in use. Lights on a timer are encouraged. Sensor activated lights are encouraged to replace existing lighting that is desired for security purposes.
9) The use of mercury vapor lamps is discouraged.

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