Portsmouth City Council approved a ban on certain types of landscape lighting that intrude onto other people’s property.
Before approving the measure, council members emphasized that this wasn’t intended to prevent people from having security lighting, only to prevent the light from being a nuisance to neighbors.
The city says it’s getting complaints from neighbors who feel that other people’s lighting is trespassing onto their property and preventing them from enjoying their homes. The measure would ban lighting that “trespasses” onto neighbor’s properties or that generates glare affecting drivers or pedestrians.
Previously, city lighting standards banned lights over 3000 Kelvin between 10 pm and 6 am and required fixtures to have a shield to them to reflect down. However, landscape uplighting to highlight features of a building is allowed. Interestingly enough, the city is exempt from the outdoor lighting standards. The new legislation would also put limits on uplighting.
This morning, SCDN obtained the official copy of the signed ordinance update.
