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

Item 2 of Sec. 94-6.4.4 sets a qualitative boundary test: light overspill and glare, including direct light from the source itself, must be confined within the lot lines of the property producing it, and lighting must comply with International Dark Sky Standards where feasible. This sits alongside item 1's shielding mandate, item 3's requirement that lighting be designed to the minimum intensity needed (with LED lighting preferred), item 4's low-reflectance surfacing and after-hours parking-lot dimming rule, and item 9's 15-foot wall-mounted and 20-foot pole-mounted fixture height caps.

Unlike the noise standards in the same chapter, which set a numeric 10 dBA-above-ambient limit measured at the property boundary, the light trespass duty is framed as an absolute confinement obligation rather than a measured threshold, so the SPGA or Community Development Board can require redesign of any fixture whose beam or glow crosses onto a neighboring lot. As with the rest of Sec. 94-6.4, compliance is reviewed before an occupancy permit issues under Sec. 94-6.4.13, and the Board can waive or modify the requirement under Sec. 94-6.4.12 if doing so will not undercut the section's purpose.