Howard County limits light trespass onto neighboring residential property. Measured three feet above ground at the property line, spillover is capped at 0.1 foot-candles onto lower-density residential districts and 0.5 foot-candles onto other residential property, under Zoning Regulations Section 134.0.D.
Zoning Regulations Section 134.0.D limits light trespass from regulated properties, measured in vertical foot-candles three feet above ground level at the property line. Light trespass onto a property in the RC, RR, R-ED, R-20, R-12, or R-SC district (or equivalent low-density areas in the NT, PGCC, or MXD districts) is limited to 0.1 foot-candles. Light trespass onto any other property zoned or used for residential purposes is limited to 0.5 foot-candles. These limits do not apply to public street rights-of-way or to land developed for non-residential uses. The standards apply to the commercial, industrial, and parking-area lighting covered by Section 134.0. The Director of Planning and Zoning may approve an alternative lighting plan that still fulfills the purpose of limiting
Regulated lighting exceeding the property-line foot-candle limits is a zoning outdoor-lighting violation; the county can require compliant fixtures, shielding, or an approved alternative plan.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Howard County's light trespass rules stack up against other locations.
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