09/30/1997 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Carol Gottlieb, 24290 Summerhill, addressed the Council on behalf of Mary Stutz, 25310 Elena Road, who was unable to be present. Lighting should not be intrusive and there was not enough staff to enforce this issue. Therefore, a strong Town policy and ordinance was needed. Erica Indaco, 13721 La Paloma, referred to the problem of emergency vehicles trying to find homes that had insufficient lighting. Safety was an important issue. PASSED BY CONSENSUS: To amend the proposed ordinance to read, in part, as follows: Purpose Statement shall read: "The purposes of this article are: 1) to assure that outdoor lighting, both on the exterior of structures and along walkways, driveways, and landscape features, maintains the openness and quiet atmosphere of the Town and minimizes excessive use of energy; 2) to provide lighting for safety and adequate lighting for the enjoyment of outdoor use areas, such as around patios and pools; and 3) to prevent lighting which is intrusive and which imposes on the privacy and quiet enjoyment of neighboring properties.'; delete the reference to "no light sources me directly visible from off the site (relating to lighting of pools and spas); add that high intensity lighting is prohibited; and include the following section on general outdoor lighting: "Outdoor lighting should use the minimum number and wattage lights which will safely illuminate the area. Outdoor light sources shall be shielded so as not to be directly visible from off site. No more than two lights shall be allowed in setback areas (as defined in Chapter 2 (Zoning) of the Town of Los Altos Hills Municipal Code). Additional lighting may be permitted where it is determined to be necessary to safely illuminate the area." MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by Dauber, seconded by Hubbard and passed unanimously to waive further reading and introduce an ordinance amending Article 10-2.10 (Outdoor Lighting) of the Site Development Code to add a purpose statement and clarifying language. MOTION SECONDED AND CARRIED: Moved by Dauber, seconded by Johnson and passed by the following roll call vote to adopt the following policy on outdoor lighting: Code Sections and Design Guidelines: Article 10-2.10 of the Site Development Ordinance outlines criteria for outdoor lighting. In particular, Section 10-2.1003 indicates that outdoor lighting should use "the minimum wattage lights which will safely illuminate the area" and that outdoor light sources "shall be shielded so as not to be directly visible from off-site." Page 30 of the Design Guidelines suggests that exterior lights be carefully placed to prevent light from shining onto neighboring houses and that light sources most not be visible from off-site. The Zoning and Site Development Ordinances limit lighting within the setbacks to "driveway light fixtures, limited to one fixture on each side of a driveway, for a maximum of two (2) fixtures per lot," but additional fixtures may be approved if necessary for safety. Intent The purpose of Code and Design Guideline provisions regarding outdoor lighting is to assure that the open and peaceful character of the Town is maintained, that adequate lighting is provided for the enjoyment of outdoor use areas, and that lighting does not intrude on the privacy of neighbors. The intent of this policy is to clarify more specifically the types and numbers of lighting fixtures that the Town feels are generally consistent with the Code provisions, but to allow flexibility for additional lighting when it is necessary for safety purposes or where it is not visible from off the site. September 30, 1997 Regular City Council Meeting