Monroe Township (Gloucester County), NJ Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

Section 175-116 is the Township's lighting standard, amended 3-3-1997 by Ord. No. O-7-97. Its luminaire rule in Subsection A(1)(b) has four parts: light shields on all lights to control glare, no visible light source from adjacent properties at any time, shields to prevent spillover onto adjacent properties and other areas where light intrusion is unwanted, and a maximum of 0.25 footcandles at any property line and/or right-of-way line. The 0.25 limit does not apply to points of ingress and egress for vehicles.

The rest of the section sets design targets around that limit. Pole-mounted luminaires should be a maximum of 16 feet and a minimum of 12 feet above the ground. Lights should be designed so they can be reduced or turned off outside the primary hours of the use. Spotlights, if used, are placed on buildings so as not to cause glare and positioned at a maximum of 45º to the building wall. Lighting of buildings is discouraged other than for identification signs, locating entrances and exits, or security.

The parking and walkway table sets a maximum average of 0.8 footcandles on pavement for residential-type parking lots such as church and park lots, 2.4 for office or strip mall lots and 4.0 for shopping centers or malls. For streets, Subsection A(2)(e) says the maximum footcandle level should not exceed 0.25 footcandles over the right-of-way line, and Subsection A(2)(h) says the height of a luminaire should not exceed 25 feet.

Subsection B(1) requires a designated lighting plan, prepared with a landscape plan. It must show all existing lights within 100 feet of the site, the luminaire detail with lamp type, manufacturer and wattage, pole and mounting heights, and photometric data with isolux lines at 2.0, 1.0, 0.50 and 0.25 footcandles.