Gardena, CA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

Gardena Municipal Code § 18.42.150(C) states plainly that security lighting shall not be directed beyond the property lines. This sits inside the broader security and lighting plan requirement of § 18.42.150, which applies to multifamily development of four or more units and to commercial and industrial developments, all of which must submit complete security and lighting plans with their site development plans. Section 18.42.150(A) sets the minimum intensity floors that make light trespass control necessary: commercial and industrial lighting plans must demonstrate an average of two footcandles with no single point below one footcandle across public and common areas, while multifamily developments need only an average of one footcandle.

Section 18.42.150(B) requires dusk-to-dawn lighting at all entries, parking areas, trash enclosures, active outdoor areas, and pedestrian pathways for safety and security. Reading (A) through (C) together, a project must light its own common areas brightly enough to meet the footcandle floor while keeping that same light contained within its own property boundary, which in practice pushes projects toward full-cutoff or shielded fixtures and careful pole placement near shared lot lines. This section works alongside the fixture-shielding design criteria of § 18.42.095(H), which separately requires exterior bulbs and LEDs to be enclosed on top and sides; together the two sections address both glare containment at the fixture and light spillover at the property line. Community Development reviews the security and lighting plan as part of site development plan approval before a qualifying project can obtain permits.