Waynesville, MO Outdoor Lighting: Dark Sky Rules (2026)

Section 405.667 establishes the Military Lighting Overlay District, or MLOD, for property within five miles of the perimeter of Fort Leonard Wood, to keep outdoor lighting from interfering with the installation's night training. The district defines a full cutoff luminaire precisely: at least ten percent of the fixture's rated lumen output measured as 100 candela per 1,000 lamp lumens can emit between 80 and just under 90 degrees from straight down, but zero candela per 1,000 lumens can emit at 90 degrees, the horizontal plane, or any angle above it, in every horizontal direction around the fixture; the section adds that a full cutoff luminaire also qualifies as fully shielded.

Any lighting fixture on commercial property that produces two foot-candles or more must meet this full cutoff standard, and the installer or manufacturer must document that compliance to the Planning and Zoning Committee during plan review. Floodlights must be aimed so no light radiates into the open sky above the horizontal plane, verified with a City-specified aiming tool. Illuminated signs get their own dark-sky clause: every sign in the district must be positioned and shielded with dark-sky approved devices to significantly reduce spillover light reaching the military installation, and an on-premise sign cannot stay lit later than half an hour after the business closes.

The City Administrator administers Section 405.667 and can grant a variance for undue hardship, while the City Council can approve a special exception where a lighting design does not meet the strict standard but still serves the section's intent.