Haverhill, MA Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

Haverhill addresses light trespass, light escaping onto a neighbor's property or into the sky, within the same performance-standards article that governs dark-sky lighting for multifamily, nonresidential, and mixed-use projects over 10,000 square feet or 10 units. Section 255-6.3.3(1)(b) states the core rule: direct glare or overspill from a light source must be confined within the property's boundaries, and lights cannot escape unshielded into the night sky. Section 255-6.3.3(1)(h) extends the same principle to signage, requiring outdoor fixtures that illuminate a sign to be mounted on top of the sign structure or otherwise restricted so they do not create up-light or trespass onto neighboring parcels.

Fixture height is capped to limit how far light can throw past a property line: wall-mounted fixtures cannot exceed 15 feet above grade under Section 255-6.3.3(1)(j)(1), and pole-mounted fixtures cannot exceed 20 feet above grade under Section 255-6.3.3(1)(j)(2). The SPGA reviews a project's lighting plan for trespass compliance at the special permit or development-review stage under Section 255-10.1.4, and it can require engineering analysis or a post-permit monitoring program under Section 255-6.3.6 to confirm fixtures perform as designed once installed. A separate, narrower trespass rule applies to marijuana establishments under Section 255-9.7.9(2), capping outdoor light at one footcandle along property lines and 10 footcandles anywhere else on the parcel, with fixtures shielded and aimed down.