We here at Brite Nites understand that creative outdoor lighting plays a crucial role in creating functional, safe, and aesthetically stunning outdoor environments. However, with light pollution becoming an increasingly important issue in our communities, it’s essential to make sure that your lighting setup is compliant with dark sky regulations. As of December 31, 2024, all Park City properties must be compliant with dark sky regulations, so if you haven’t already, it’s imperative to check that your outdoor lighting meets the standards of compliance.
What is the Purpose of Dark Sky Regulations?
You may have heard about dark sky regulations, but maybe you’re not sure what they are or why countless cities across the country are setting them in place. To help understand the importance of dark sky compliance, here are some of the reasons that such regulations have become more commonplace:
- Reducing Light Pollution and Skyglow: Light pollution is excessive light at night from man-made sources. Light pollution can lead to a hazy luminance in the night sky commonly referred to as “skyglow” which severely impairs or even prohibits visibility of the night sky.
- Celestial Visibility: Limited artificial light allows for visibility of the stars and other astronomical events in the night sky, even in densely populated areas.
- Protecting Wildlife: Skyglow can dangerously affect wildlife, most notably nocturnal animals, and therein disrupt the natural cycles of the ecosystem itself.
- Conserving Energy: Dark sky compliant lighting systems are energy efficient, and will ultimately bring down electricity bills, making them beneficial for both property owners and the environment.
- Neighborly Consideration: Regulations will ensure all outdoor lighting is non-disruptive to surrounding property owners.
Summary of Park City Regulations
When considering compliance with municipal codes, it’s always important to read the code yourself to make sure you understand the specific details. However, here is a quick rundown of the standards your outdoor lighting must meet under the Park City municipal outdoor lighting code:
- Fully Shielded Fixtures: Lights should be shielded or shaded, to prevent light from spilling outside of the area intended to be lit.
- Warm Color Temperatures: All lighting must have a maximum color temperature of 3000 Kelvin (see our blog post on lighting temperature to understand more about Kelvin).
- Downward Directed Lighting: As the lights should be shielded, they should also face downwards to prevent as much light as possible from casting upward or outward into the sky.
- Permits and Maintenance: Any new lighting plans must be submitted to the city for approval, and must indicate the fixture types, color temperature, lumens, and layout of the project. Any updates to fixtures post-permit require approval to ensure ongoing compliance.
- Seasonal Lighting: Holiday lighting is exempt from the code and is permitted from November 1 to March 1.
- Strands and Strings: String lighting is permitted year-round but only for specific use to light patios, porches, and decks and not landscaping elements or other structures.
Slightly different restrictions apply to Summit County residents living outside of Park City, so if you’re not sure which regulations apply to your property, you can find more detailed information here.
Penalties for Non-Compliance in Park City
Now that the deadline for compliance has passed, if your lights are found to not be up-to-code, there are a few different consequences you could face:
- Fines and Penalties: Code enforcement offers will respond to resident-filed complaints, and may issue fines or even a misdemeanor if the violating fixture isn’t brought into compliance.
- Permit Delays or Revocation: For renovations and new constructions, non-compliant lighting plans could delay permit approvals or even lead to revocation of existing permits.
- Enforcement Actions: Officers may require that you replace or modify non-compliant fixtures, potentially leading to additional costs after a fine.
- Environmental Impact: Ultimately, the goal of dark sky ordinances is to protect the fragile ecosystems we live within, and non-compliance can have negative environmental effects.
How Can Brite Nites Help?
With the knowledge of the codes within Park City’s dark sky ordinance, your next step is to take action. As industry professionals, you can count on Brite Nites to help you comply with local regulations. If you’re not sure if your outdoor lighting setup is compliant with the dark sky codes in Park City, send us a text or give us a call to schedule a lighting compliance assessment. We’ll come by and take a look at your system, and make recommendations for how you can optimize your outdoor lighting without violating dark sky ordinances. We look forward to meeting with you!
