Clinton Township, MI Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

18(c) sets the design standards that apply to every exterior lighting source in the Township, functioning as its shielding and fixture-type rule. Only white, non-glare lighting, such as metal halide or color-corrected high-pressure sodium, or comparable technology producing the same effect, is permitted, ruling out the harsh, unshielded high-output fixtures that contribute most to glare and stray light. 5 footcandles across the whole area, and cannot exceed ten footcandles measured five feet above the surface, with the one-footcandle ceiling at the property line under the same subsection.

Mounting height is tied to proximity to homes: fixtures serving residential uses, or the parts of a nonresidential site adjacent to residential areas, cannot exceed 15 feet, while fixtures elsewhere are capped at 25 feet, measured from the parking lot surface to the centerline of the light source. Subsection (d) extends shielding to architectural building illumination, requiring it to be placed and shielded so it does not interfere with the vision of drivers or neighbors, and subsection (f) bars flashing, moving, or intermittent illumination, requiring light to stay stationary and constant in intensity and color whenever in use. Together these provisions function as the Township's design-level control on light pollution from any developed site. Adopted under Ordinance 260-A-499, passed December 22, 2025.