Clinton Township, MI Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

18, Lighting Requirements, sets the Township-wide standard for exterior illumination on parking areas, walkways, driveways, building entryways, and off-street parking and loading areas. Subsection (b) is the operative light-trespass rule: exterior lighting must be located and shielded to reduce glare, and all outdoor lighting in every use district must be directed toward and confined to the ground areas of lawns and parking lots. Critically, the lighting source itself cannot be visible from adjoining properties, and the section calls out that particular care must be taken to reflect light away from adjacent Residential Districts and adjacent residences specifically, recognizing that spillover onto a neighbor's yard or window is the harm being targeted.

The rule exempts public street lighting, which is regulated separately. This trespass standard works together with the property-line footcandle cap in subsection (c)(2), which limits illumination to no more than one footcandle at the property line, giving code enforcement an objective, measurable benchmark rather than a subjective glare complaint. Site plans submitted for commercial, industrial, or multi-family development are reviewed against these standards by the Planning Commission before a certificate of occupancy issues, and follow-up complaints from adjoining residential owners about visible fixtures or excess spillover are the typical enforcement trigger. The current version was re-adopted under Ordinance 260-A-499, passed December 22, 2025.