How Parma Handles Outdoor Lighting: A Practical Guide
Parma maintains 135 local ordinances across all categories, and 3 of those deal specifically with outdoor lighting. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Parma falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.
Billboard Lighting
Illuminated billboards and electronic message centers in Parma must run automatic dimming keyed to ambient light and cannot exceed 250 cd/m2 at night, stepping up to a 5,000 cd/m2 daytime ceiling once the sun is fully up.
Key details: Nighttime luminance cap: 250 cd/m2 (Nits). Daytime luminance cap: 5,000 cd/m2 (Nits). Dimming trigger: 15 min before sunset to 15 min after sunrise. Brightness control: Automatic photocell or software required. Penalty: Misdemeanor of the first degree.
A billboard or EMC exceeding the 250/5,000 cd/m2 luminance caps or missing required brightness controls violates Chapter 1196, and Section 1196.99 makes any violation of the chapter a misdemeanor of the first degree, with each day the excess lighting continues charged as a separate offense. The Building Commissioner can order the sign brought into compliance or removed under Section 1196.15(a); if the owner does not act within forty-eight hours, the City may remove or correct it and bill the owner for the cost.
Dark Sky Rules
Parma's Industrial District performance standards require every spotlight or floodlight aimed at a building or the grounds to be shielded so it is not directly visible from adjacent properties or public streets, a fixture-shielding rule enforced as a condition of occupancy.
Key details: Rule: shield spot/floodlights from view. Governing section: Codified Ordinances § 1171.08(j). Applies to: Industrial District uses. Related standard: § 1171.08(e) glare/heat screening. Enforcement point: condition of occupancy.
An industrial use with unshielded spotlighting or floodlighting fails the performance-standards condition for occupancy under Section 1171.08 and is subject to the Planning and Zoning Code's general penalty at Section 1123.99: a first-degree misdemeanor, with each day of continued visibility from an adjacent property treated as a separate offense, plus costs and expenses of the case.
The rules around dark sky rules in Parma lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.
Light Trespass & Shielding
In Parma's Mixed Use Districts B and C, site lighting must produce zero foot-candles at every lot line, and developers must submit a lighting plan showing fixtures, locations and lumen levels before their project is approved.
Key details: Trespass standard: zero foot-candles at lot lines. Governing section: Codified Ordinances § 1180.06(h). Applies to: Mixed Use Districts B and C. Required filing: lighting plan with fixtures, lumens. Related setback: 50-75 ft from property lines.
A Mixed Use B or C development that installs lighting spilling past zero foot-candles at a lot line, or that skips the required lighting plan, is out of compliance with its approved development plan and is subject to the Planning and Zoning Code's general penalty at Section 1123.99: a first-degree misdemeanor, with each day of continued spillage a separate offense, plus costs and expenses of the case.
The Bottom Line
Parma's outdoor lighting rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Parma is broadly strict or permissive.
Keep in mind that Parma can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.