Laguna Niguel Municipal Code Section 9-1-35.15 sets outdoor lighting standards to provide public safety while limiting excessive lighting. Exterior lighting must be shielded or recessed and directed downward, no fixture may be unusually high in intensity, and pole or fence lights are capped at eight feet above grade.
LNMC 9-1-35.15 governs outdoor lighting on residential property, applying to both security and decorative lighting. Its purpose is to allow adequate lighting for public safety while minimizing adverse effects of excessive lighting on neighbors. Exterior lighting must be shielded or recessed so direct glare and reflections are contained within the parcel and directed downward and away from adjoining properties; no lighting may be unusually high in intensity, and fixtures must suit the use. Building-mounted lights must be below the eave line, and pole- or fence-mounted lights no more than eight feet above grade. Lighting meeting these standards is a permitted accessory use; deviation requires a minor adjustment. Though not branded a dark-sky ordinance, its shielding rules serve the same goals.
Installing unshielded, upward-aimed, or unusually bright exterior fixtures, or pole and fence lights over eight feet, violates LNMC 9-1-35.15. Code Compliance may require re-aiming or shielding fixtures, lowering pole heights, or obtaining a minor adjustment permit.
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