Showing ordinances that apply to Harrisville, RI
Harrisville is an unincorporated community (population 1,745) in Providence County, Rhode Island. Because Harrisville is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal code. Instead, Providence County ordinances apply directly to properties here. The dark sky rules rules below are the ones that govern your area.
Rhode Island RIGL §42-85 (Outdoor Lighting Control Act) requires state-funded outdoor lighting to be full-cutoff shielded. Providence Code §27 zoning imposes shielding requirements on commercial fixtures. Residential rules focus on trespass rather than full dark-sky compliance.
Rhode Island's Outdoor Lighting Control Act (RIGL §42-85) requires all state-funded outdoor lighting installed or replaced to use full-cutoff fixtures that emit zero light above the horizontal plane, with limited exceptions. This applies to RI DOT roadways, state buildings, and state-funded municipal projects. Providence Zoning Ordinance Article 14 §1404 and Cranston Zoning §17.72 apply shielding standards to commercial, industrial, and multi-family development through the site plan review process. Parking lot lighting is typically capped at 20-25 feet pole height with full-cutoff fixtures and maximum 0.5 footcandle spillover at residential property lines. Residential outdoor lighting is largely unregulated unless it creates nuisance-level trespass. Rhode Island is home to active International Dark-Sky Association chapters, and Frosty Drew Observatory in Charlestown advocates statewide. LED color temperature of 3000K or below is recommended by AMA guidelines and encouraged by RI DEM for wildlife-sensitive areas.
Non-compliant commercial fixtures: zoning enforcement, 30-day correction notice, then fines $100-$500 per day under Providence Code §27. Site plan violations: certificate of occupancy withheld. State-project violations under §42-85: state funding withheld.
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