Fitchburg, WI Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

Fitchburg City Code Chapter 28, the Dark Sky Ordinance, took effect under Ordinance No. 2024-O-37 (Feb. 11, 2025) and states its purpose in § 28-1: creating standards for outdoor lighting that avoid interfering with reasonable use of property, prevent light trespass, conserve energy and preserve nighttime safety, while mitigating adverse impacts on wildlife and ecosystems. The operative shielding rule sits in § 28-6(a)(1): all new outdoor lighting subject to the chapter must use full cutoff fixtures, defined in § 28-2 as luminaires emitting no luminous flux above the horizontal plane, with drop lenses barred entirely (minor up-light from reflection off a support arm does not disqualify a fixture).

Section 28-6(a) also bars mounting lights above the parapet or, on pitched roofs, above the eave, except for motion-detection security or decorative building lighting. The chapter applies to new outdoor lighting tied to new developments, buildings, additions and structures needing architectural control approval under § 25-1, plus lighting under the SmartCode zoning district (§ 28-4). Interior lighting, code-required exit and stair lighting, one- and two-family dwellings, holiday lighting, right-of-way lighting and swimming pool lighting are exempt under § 28-5. 5-footcandle line falls at the property line; the director (the zoning administrator or designee) can reject noncompliant plans.

Owners boxed in by the technical standards can apply for a special permit under § 28-9, and appeals of the director's decisions go to the zoning board of appeals under § 28-10.