Amherst, NY Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

Section 7-3-3 sets the site lighting design requirements applied during site plan review of nonresidential and multifamily developments under § 7-3-2. Subsection A requires the light source (the luminaire) to be concealed and invisible from any street right-of-way or adjacent property, and mandates cutoff fixtures on all lighting so the light is directed downward and spillage into the night sky and onto neighboring land is minimized; only architectural lighting can point upward, and even that must meet the section's other requirements. Subsection B caps fixture height at 25 feet in parking lots and 15 feet in non-vehicular pedestrian areas, with building-mounted site lighting capped at 25 feet above grade.

Subsection D requires the cone of light from each fixture to stay entirely on-site and never cross a property line. Footings for light poles are capped under subsection E at 6 inches above finished grade in landscaped areas and 30 inches in paved areas. Section 7-3-4 goes further and sets numeric footcandle ceilings by lighting type, measured on pavement within the lighted area, with the flag of the United States exempted from the standard. The Commissioner of Building may also require sensor technology or timers under subsection F to limit lighting to periods of actual activity, and illumination cannot be used to advertise or draw attention to a use beyond what the sign regulations in § 7-8 permit.