July 17-23, 2002
A Loudoun resident dressed as Santa Claus appeared at the Board of Supervisors meeting room Monday, telling the board he came from the Land of Northern Lights.
The Citizen for Property Rights (CPR) member and a second CPR member decked out in a Darth Vader costume spoke against a drafted lighting ordinance the Planning Commission presented July 1 to the board. They said they were concerned the ordinance would restrict holiday and residential lighting.
“Santa believes you’re over your heads on this one, and you should pass it off as good riddance while you can,” said Jim Clarke, who was wearing a red suit and hat and carrying a bag of coal to give to the board members.
The drafted lighting ordinance, which the board tabled to the July 15 meeting, outlines lighting practices focused on reducing glare, minimizing light trespass onto neighboring properties, reducing sky glow to allow for stargazing and conserving energy, while still providing for safety and utility. Proponents of the ordinance claim updating the county's lighting practices will reduce energy consumption and the need for more power plants, while saving tax dollars.
“Applicants are voluntarily complying with what a lighting ordinance would be,” said Supervisor William “Bill” Bogard (R-Sugarland Run.) "It’s easier if you have it stated, it written out rather than what would be wanted."
Supervisor Drew Hiatt (R-Dulles) disagreed. “These things are more properly dealt with as applicants come forward,” he said. “We don’t have the time, staff or resources to send people out at night” to monitor compliance.
ABOUT 75 PERCENT of applicants already agree to use cut-off shielded lighting to shine light downward, lower levels of illumination and use foot candles to reduce brightness, according to the Planning Commission. The drafted lighting ordinance includes an exemption for seasonal decorations, allowing for the use of unshielded low-wattage incandescent lamps from Thanksgiving to Jan. 15.
"I want to put it through the public process and see what people think," Bogard said. "Even the minimum is more than what the majority of single-family attached homes are using.
CPR president Jack Shockey spoke his view at the meeting.
“The idea of turning down these lights is ridiculous,” said Shockey, who by the time he spoke had removed his “force of darkness” costume. Shockey would not give his name while he was in costume, but his voice gave him away.
The idea for a lighting ordinance came about two years ago when individuals associated with the 8,000-member International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) presented the county with information on lighting issues.
“We’re not opposed to lighting. We’re opposed to bad lighting,” said Chris Walker, a member of IDA who spoke at the July 15 meeting. “There’s no reason we should tolerate this. There’s no reason a lighting ordinance should be complicated.”
THE PLANNING COMMISSION unanimously passed a resolution in 2000 requesting the board enact a lighting ordinance, but board members did not take any action, said Jane Kirchner (Sugarland Run). The commission tasked county staff with developing a draft lighting ordinance that summer.
“We’ve kept on bringing it forward, but the supervisors have not done anything with it,” Kirchner said.
Some of the items in the draft were incorporated in recent revisions of the Facility Standards Manual, a county ordinance addressing site development standards. The Planning Commission still seeks a separate lighting ordinance.
"I don't think it will take away from the timing of anything else. It's important enough, it should be done now," Kirchner said.
The commission suggested working on the draft lighting ordinance during the first phase of revisions to the county's revised General Plan. The revisions update the county’s map and amend the zoning ordinance to implement the General Plan, a 20-year planning document adopted by the Board of Supervisors in July 2001.
On July 1, Bogard motioned to send the draft to the Planning Commission or to the Land Use Committee for review and modifications as long as the work did not conflict with the remapping process.
AT THE JULY 15 meeting, the Board of Supervisors agreed to include discussion of developing a lighting ordinance in the second phase revisions, when the commission will continue working on zoning ordinance amendments. The discussion will not necessarily include the original draft.
“I don’t like the Kirchner ordinance. It’s far too detailed and complicated,” said Supervisor James “Jim” Burton (I-Mercer), referring to the 14-page draft. “But we shouldn’t throw it out.”
The board set the first two priorities for phase two work, which will follow the first phase work. The first phase is expected to continue until Oct. 15 when the Planning Commission is scheduled to give a recommendation to the board. The board agreed that the phase two priorities should include the lighting ordinance and an ordinance for restricting adult entertainment in the county.
“It’s not going to hurt us to put it out and publicly discuss it. It’s not going to get done unless we start,” Bogard said about the lighting ordinance.
“We do want reasonable guidelines and standards,” said Supervisor Chuck Harris (D-Broad Run).
The counties of Fauquier, Warren, Hanover and Albermarle have light control ordinances or zoning provisions already in place. They may not, however, have supervisors that can say this:
"Thank you Santa. We appreciate you coming all the way from the North Pole," York said.