Franklin Township, PA Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

Franklin Township's zoning performance standards devote § 27-1607 to outdoor lighting, applying it to all uses, conforming or nonconforming, in every district unless a specific exception is stated. The core shielding rule requires every fixture to be effectively shielded and arranged to protect the street and neighboring properties from direct glare, light trespass, or light radiation that could create a safety problem or nuisance. B fixes the numeric cutoff: the light source must be shielded so its cutoff does not exceed an angle of 30 degrees from vertical, and it must be designed so no direct rays fall on a neighboring property or street.

The section adds several companion limits that reinforce the dark-sky intent: short post lighting of three feet or less is favored along pedestrian walkways to cut glare; no fixture may sit within the first 80% of the required property-line setback except to light walkways or vehicle entrances; blinking, flashing or color-changing fixtures are barred outside temporary holiday displays; overall fixture height is capped at 16 feet; and off-street parking fixtures specifically must use a 30-degree or flatter cutoff angle, spaced no more than 100 feet apart, with automated timers cutting output after hours.

The Board of Supervisors reviews a lighting plan and fixture details as part of land development approval, and lighting required to meet state or federal standards is exempted from the section. This provision dates to Ord. 95-07 of 12/14/1995 (originally § 1506) and was amended by Ord. 2002-08 on 5/16/2002.