Burleson, TX Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

The rule sits in Appendix C, Urban Design Standards, Article V, IH-35 Design Standards, of the Burleson Code of Ordinances, adopted by the Burleson City Council. Section 5-55 opens by requiring that all exterior lighting fixtures comply with its standards. Subsection (a) then lists six categories that need fully shielded and full cut off fixtures: street, sidewalk and path lighting; parking lots; recreational areas, parks, plazas and other public spaces; billboards; display areas; and building façades, overhangs and canopies. Subsection (b) allows directional lights to illuminate signs, flagpoles and architectural features, but only so long as the light hits the intended object and does not shine directly onto neighboring properties. Subsection (c) closes the loophole of changing fixtures later: any substitution after site plan approval or issuance of the building permit has to meet the same standards.

The code does not use the words dark sky. The practical effect is the same: a full cut off fixture sends its light down, not up and out. Section 5-4 sets when the article applies: to properties designated through base or overlay zoning districts, for all new construction, when remodeling, alteration, addition or expansion exceeds 50 percent of the current appraised value on the latest approved tax roll, when an addition increases gross floor area by 20 percent or greater, and for any project under a specific use permit, planned development district or site plan district. If the article conflicts with other parts of the Burleson Code of Ordinances, the article controls.

Process matters too. Section 5-25 requires a commercial site plan review by the development assistance committee (DAC) before a building permit issues, so the lighting plan is checked at that stage. Section 5-26 treats any modification of these standards as a DAC review with final approval by the city council. A neighboring article, Article VII for business parks, adds its own lighting rule in § 7-55: fixtures are oriented to avoid glare of light intrusion into the sky, a public way, street or adjacent property, and parking and loading areas use full cut-off fixtures no taller than 35 feet.