Knox County's Zoning Ordinance requires outdoor lighting be shielded and directed away from residential lot lines, and bars operations producing intense glare or heat from casting it onto neighboring property. Illuminated signs cannot shine or reflect onto nearby residential land within 300 feet.
For light trespass, the Knox County Zoning Ordinance requires the light source to be shielded and arranged so lighting is directed away from any lot boundary adjacent to residentially zoned property. The performance standards also govern glare: any operation producing intense glare or heat must be performed within an enclosure so the effect is not detectable at the lot line. Sign rules reinforce this, prohibiting an illuminated sign within 300 feet of residential-zoned property unless it is designed so it does not shine or reflect its illumination onto that property. These standards apply in the unincorporated county; city or town codes govern inside Knoxville and Farragut. Complaints go to county Code Administration and Planning.
Light-trespass and glare violations are addressed through zoning enforcement and site-plan compliance by the county Department of Code Administration.
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Knoxville, TN
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