Paulding County, GA Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Fixture type
- Full cut-off only
- Max pole height
- 25 feet
- Property-line setback
- 10 feet minimum
- Max illumination at line
- 0.5 footcandles
- Compliance check
- Photometric plan with building permit
- Applies to
- Technology Park Overlay District
Summary
Data centers in Paulding County's Technology Park Overlay District must use full cut-off fixtures on poles no taller than 25 feet, set back at least 10 feet from the property line, to preserve the area's existing night-sky darkness. Section 220-40.07(D) also caps light spill at 0.5 footcandles at the property line and can require a photometric plan.
D.Exterior illumination shall be shielded, downcast and of a luminosity designed to maintain the existing night sky darkness and to prevent light trespass onto adjacent properties. In order to obtain that objective, the following criteria shall be met:1.All fixtures shall be full cut-off type fixtures;2.Light poles shall be no taller than 25 feet in height;3.All light poles must be set back a minimum of 10 feet from any exterior property line; provided, however, that light poles should not be located in any required buffer area;4.Maximum food-candles at the property line shall be 0.5. All exterior lighting shall be positioned so as not to create glare to any residential property or public street; and5.A photometric lighting plan which shows conformity with these requirements may be required by the Community Development Director as part of any building permit application.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 35).
Full Breakdown
07(D) tells developers in the Technology Park Overlay District that 'Exterior illumination shall be shielded, downcast and of a luminosity designed to maintain the existing night sky darkness and to prevent light trespass onto adjacent properties,' then lists five concrete criteria. All fixtures must be full cut-off type, meaning they direct light downward rather than outward or upward. Light poles cannot exceed 25 feet in height and must sit back at least 10 feet from any exterior property line, though poles are barred from the district's required buffer area entirely.
5 footcandles, and every fixture must be positioned so it does not create glare toward a residential property or a public street. To confirm compliance before construction, the Community Development Director may require a photometric lighting plan as part of the building permit application, giving the county a documented check on fixture placement and output before a data center's exterior lights are ever installed. 02, not to lighting on ordinary residential or commercial lots elsewhere in the county.
Violations & Fines
Installing fixtures that are not full cut-off type, exceeding the 25-foot pole height, building inside the 10-foot property-line setback, or spilling more than 0.5 footcandles at the property line is a Title 2 zoning violation the Zoning Administrator can cite once identified, typically through photometric plan review or a site inspection. Because the section carries no standalone fine, enforcement follows the standard zoning process, appealable to the Zoning Board of Appeals within 30 days under Section 290-40.01.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of light fixtures does Paulding County require for data centers?
How tall can the light poles be?
Does the county check compliance before construction?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Paulding County
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