South Fulton has a dark-sky-oriented Outdoor Lighting ordinance (Section 408 of the Zoning Ordinance). It requires nonexempt fixtures to be full cutoff (no light above horizontal), bans mercury vapor lamps, neon, searchlights and very intense lighting over 200,000 lumens, and exempts holiday, pool, and short-duration motion-sensor lighting.
South Fulton's Zoning Ordinance includes a comprehensive Outdoor Lighting standard at Section 408 whose stated purpose is to "curtail and reverse the degradation of the nighttime visual environment and the night sky; preserve the dark night sky for astronomy; minimize glare, obtrusive light and artificial sky glow." The core standard (Section 408.06) requires that all nonexempt outdoor lighting fixtures "shall be full cutoff placed so as to allow no light above the horizontal as measured at the luminaire," with limited exceptions for period-style fixtures. Section 408.05 prohibits aerial lasers, searchlight-style lights, mercury vapor lamps, neon lighting, and "other very intense lighting" defined as a light source exceeding 200,000 lumens or an intensity in any direction of 2 million candelas or more. Section 408.04 exempts pool and underwater lighting, temporary holiday lighting, FAA-required lighting, emergency lighting, fossil-fuel flame lighting, and security lighting controlled by a motion sensor for 10 minutes or less. The standards apply to land uses, developments, and buildings that require a permit, and major additions (25% or more in dwelling units, floor area, or parking, or replacing 60% or more of permitted lumens) trigger compliance for the entire property. Variances are available under Section 408.08. These are the city's own standards; in overlay districts, Article 5 controls where it conflicts.
Installing non-full-cutoff fixtures that spill light upward, using prohibited mercury vapor, neon, or searchlight lighting, or exceeding the 200,000-lumen / 2-million-candela intensity threshold violates Section 408 and is enforced through permitting review and code enforcement, including required correction.
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