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

Section 22-41 of Leominster's zoning ordinance opens by barring any use permitted by right or by special permit from operating in a way that emits objectionable glare, along with a list of other environmental impacts such as noise, dust, odor and vibration, that would adversely affect the surrounding environment. Subsection 41.4, headed 'Glare,' makes the light-specific rule explicit: no direct or sky-reflected glare, whether from floodlights or from high temperature processes such as welding, is permitted beyond the lot lines onto neighboring properties or onto any street. The subsection draws no distinction between residential and commercial uses and does not set a footcandle or lumen threshold; instead it is a flat prohibition measured at the lot line, so if light or reflected glare from a fixture, floodlight or industrial process crosses onto a neighbor's land or a public street, the use is out of compliance regardless of how bright the source is on the originating property.

The rule sits alongside the other Article VIII performance standards, including emissions, erosion control, hazardous discharge, noise and vibration limits, which together apply citywide to any permitted use rather than to a single zoning district. The planning board can waive some of these Article VIII standards for a use in the MU1 or MU2 districts if the waiver preserves the historic character of an existing building or site, but Section 22-41 does not list glare as one of the standards eligible for that waiver.