Springfield, OR Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass & Shielding (2026)

Section 4.5.110(B) sets Springfield's core light trespass standard: on-site lighting must be the minimum illumination necessary under Illuminating Engineering Society of North America practices, and every exterior fixture must be shielded or recessed so that direct glare and reflection are contained within the boundaries of the property, aimed downward and away from abutting properties, public rights-of-way, and any riparian zone or wetland on the same site. The code backs that standard with a height cutback near sensitive neighbors: subsection (C)(3) limits a free-standing exterior light fixture to 12 feet, well under the general 25-foot or building-height cap in (C)(1), whenever it sits within 50 feet of a residential district, riparian zone or wetland, which reaches many parcels near the McKenzie and Willamette Rivers and residential neighborhoods bordering commercial corridors.

The definitions in Section 4.5.105(E) sharpen the standard: glare is defined as stray, unshielded light striking the eye that may result in nuisance from light shining into a window, discomfort from squinting, disabled night vision, or reduced visual performance. Sports fields, stadiums and outdoor performance venues get a partial exception from the general height cap under (C)(4), but the 12-foot limit near residential districts still applies to them.