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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-02-13 CR - Golden Crown - Exterior Lighting CITY OF OAK PARK HEIGHTS 14168 Oak Park Boulevard No • P.O. Box 2007 • Oak Park Heights, MN 55082 -2007 • Phone: 651/439 -4439 • Fax: 651/439 -0574 February 13, 2013 Mr. Ruyue Tan Golden Crown Restaurant 14587 60 St. N. Oak Park Heights, MN 55082 Re: Exterior Lighting — Full Cut Off Requirement Dear Mr. Tan: City of Oak Park Heights Ordinance 401.15.b.7 sets forth the requirements for outdoor lighting within the City. Subsection f.2 established the performance standards for outdoor lighting in commercial zoned districts such as the B -2, General Business District, where Golden Crown is situated. Copies of these ordinances are enclosed for your reference. The 4 small Tight fixtures (luminaire) installed to the exterior entry and the 6 large fixtures to the exterior walls of Golden Crown do not comply with City Ordinance, which requires that all outdoor luminaire have no less than a 90 degree angle for total cut off of the light emitted from the fixture. The light fixtures in place are not considered full cut off and have globes that surround the Tight source, allowing light to emit from the fixtures. Full cut off does not allow for full display lighting such as is in place and simply means that the lens, through which light is emitted, shall not extend beyond a solid material, which restricts light emission, above and to the side of the fixture. This is also known as total cut off. There is an exception noted in subsection f.2.c relative architectural /historical light fixtures; however this exception must be approved by the City Council. Such approvals are considered through the City's Variance process. With this letter you are requested to remove the fixtures. Any replacement fixtures shall be compliant to City Ordinance(s). Please submit plans for any replacement fixtures for review and approval, prior to their installation. Tree City U.S.A. The lights shall be removed and /or replaced no later than March 12, 2013. A compliance check will be made after this date. I am happy to assist you with any questions you may have regarding this request. Thank you for your prompt attention. Sincerely, • JuigA . Hultman, C.B.O. P1 I ing & Code Enforcement Enclosure c: Eric Johnson, City Administrator (w /o enclosure) Property File 1 401.15.B. General Building and Performance Requirements. 17. Outdoor Lighting. a. Purpose. It is the purpose of this Ordinance section to encourage the use of lighting systems that will reduce light pollution and promote energy conservation while increasing night time safety, utility, security and productivity. b. Exemptions. The provisions of this section shall not apply to the following: 1) This section does not prohibit the use of temporary outdoor lighting used during customary holiday seasons. 2) This section does not prohibit the use of temporary outdoor lighting used for civic celebrations and promotions. 3) Lighting required by a government agency for the safe operation of airplanes, or security lighting required. on government buildings or structures. 4) Emergency lighting by police, fire and rescue authorities. c. Non- Conforming Uses. 1) All outdoor lighting fixtures existing and legally installed prior to the effective date of this Ordinance (15 October 1997) are exempt from regulations of this section but shall comply with the previous Ordinance requirements for glare as follows: a) Any lighting used to illuminate an off - street parking area, sign or other structure, shall be arranged as to deflect light away from any adjoining residential zone or from the public streets. Direct or sky - reflected glare, where from flood lights or from high temperature processes such as combustion or welding shall not be directed into any adjoining property. The source of lights shall be hooded or controlled in some mariner so as not to light adjacent property. Bare incandescent Tight bulbs shall not be permitted in view of adjacent property or public right -of -way. Any Tight or combination of lights which cast Tight on a public street shall not exceed one (1) foot candle (meter reading) as measured from the center line of said street. Any Tight or combination of lights which cast light on residential property shall not exceed four - tenths (.4) foot candles (meter reading) as measured from said property. 2) New Fixtures. Whenever a Tight fixture that was existing on the effective date of this Ordinance (15 October 1997) is replaced by a new outdoor light fixture, the provisions of this section shall be complied with. d. Intensity. No light source or combination thereof which cast light on a public street shall exceed one (1) foot candle meter reading as measured from the centerline of said street nor shall any light source or combination thereof which cast light on adjacent property exceed four- tenths (0.4) foot candles as measured at the property line, per the method outlined in Section 401.15.B.7.e. e. Method of Measuring Light Intensity. The foot candle level of a light source shall be taken after dark with the light meter held six (6) inches above the ground with the meter facing the light source. A reading shall be taken with the light source on, then with the light source off. The difference between the two readings will be identified as the light intensity. f. Performance Standards. 1) Residential /Open Space District Standards. In all residential /open space districts, any lighting used to illuminate an off - street parking area, structure, or area shall be arranged as to deflect light away from any adjoining residential property or from any public right -of- way in accordance with the following provisions: a) The light source shall be hooded or controlled so as not to light adjacent property in excess of the maximum intensity defined in Section 401.15.B.7.d. b) Bare light bulbs shall not be permitted in view of adjacent property or public right -of -way, unless part of a permanent fixture. 2) Public /Institutional, Commercial and Industrial Districts. Any lighting used to illuminate an off- street parking area, structure, or area shall be arranged so as to deflect light away from any adjoining property or from any public right -of -way in accordance with the following provisions: a) Shielding. The luminaire shall contain a cutoff which directs and cuts off the Tight at an angle of ninety (90) degrees or less. b) Intensity. Light sources shall not be permitted so as to light adjacent property in excess of the maximum intensity defined in Section 401.15.B.7.d. c) Exceptions. Architectural /historical Tight fixtures that feature globes that are not shielded, or lighting of entire facades or architectural features of a building shall be approved by the City Council. In no case shall the Tight affect adjacent property in excess of the maximum intensity defined in Section 401.15.B.7.d. d) Height. The maximum height above the ground grade permitted for Tight sources mounted on a pole is twenty -five (25) feet. A light source mounted on a building shall not exceed the height of the building. In no case shall the height of a light source mounted on a pole or on a building exceed the height limits of the zoning district in which the use is located unless allowed by conditional use permit. e) Location. (1) The light source of an outdoor Tight fixture shall be setback a minimum of ten (10) feet from a street right - of -way and five (5) feet from an interior side or rear lot line. (2) No light sources shall be located on the roof unless said Tight enhances the architectural features of the building and is approved by the Zoning Administrator. f) Hours. (1) The use of outdoor lighting for parking lots serving commercial and industrial businesses shall be turned off one (1) hour after closing, except for approved security lighting. (2) All illuminated on- premise and off-premise signs for advertising purposes shall be turned off between 11:00 PM and sunrise except that said signs may be illuminated while the business facility on the premise is open for service. g) Glare. Direct or reflected glare from high temperature processes such as combustion or welding shall not be visible from any adjoining property. 3) Outdoor Recreation. Outdoor recreational uses such as, but not limited to, baseball fields, football fields, tennis courts and snow skiing areas have special requirements for night time lighting. Due to these unique circumstances, a conditional use permit shall be required for outdoor lighting systems which do not comply regulations of this section. a) No outdoor recreation facility whether public or private shall be illuminated after 11:00 PM. b) Off - street parking areas for outdoor recreation uses which are illuminated shall meet the requirements stated for commercial and industrial applications as found in Section 401.15.B.7.f.2).a., b., c., e., and g. c) The provisions for a conditional use permit, Section 401.03.A.8 of this Ordinance, are considered and satisfactorily met. 12 4) Outdoor Signs. All lighting of signing and informational or visual communication devices shall be in compliance with Section 401.15.G of this Ordinance. g. Prohibitions. The following outdoor lights are prohibited within the City of Oak Park Heights: 1) The use of search lights for any business shall be limited to not more than four (4) events per calendar year. During any one event, the use of search lights shall be limited to five (5) days consecutively and shall not be used between the hours of 10:30 PM and sunrise. 2) Flashing lights. hts. h. Submission of Plans. All applications, except single family residential, that include outdoor lighting must include evidence the proposed outdoor lighting will comply with this section. The application shall contain the following information, in addition to other required information: 1) Site plans indicating the location on the premises of all illuminating devices, fixtures, lamps, supports, reflectors and other lighting devices. 2) Description of the type of illuminating devices, fixtures, lamps, supports, reflectors and other lighting devices. The description may include, but is not limited to, catalog cuts by manufacturers and drawings (including sections where required). 3) Photometric plans illustrating the angle of the cutoff or light emissions, and illumination field of the proposed site lighting. Interim Use: A temporary use of property until a particular date, until the occurrence of a particular event, or until zoning regulations no longer allow it. Junk Yard: An open area where waste, used, or second hand materials are bought, sold, exchanged, stored, baled, packed, disassembled or handled; including but not limited to, scrap iron and other materials, paper rags, rubber, tires, lumber, and bottles. A junk yard includes an auto wrecking yard, but does not include uses established entirely within closed buildings nor sanitary land fills. Kennel: Any lot, premises, dwelling or dwelling unit in which three (3) or more dogs over the age of six months are kept, harbored, owned or otherwise possessed, either on a commercial basis or scale for boarding or breeding, or on a private basis for personal use, enjoyment or profit. Landscaping: Plantings such as trees, flowers, grass and shrubs and improvements directly related thereto. Land Reclamation: The process of the re- establishment of acceptable topography (i.e. slopes), vegetative cover, soil stability and the establishment of safe conditions b appropriate to the subsequent use of the land. Lighting Related: Figure 1. Cut Off Angle 1. Cutoff: The point at which all Tight rays 1 Total Cutoff emitted by a Tamp, light source or luminaire are completely eliminated at a specific angle above the ground. e qf 2. Cutoff Angle: The angle formed by a line t a o y drawn from the direction of light rays at the Tight source and a line perpendicular to the ground from the light source above which no Tight is emitted (see Figure 1). 3. Cutoff Type Luminaire: A luminaire with elements such as shields, reflectors, or refractor panels which direct and cut off the Tight at a cutoff angle that is less than ninety (90) degrees. 4. Flashing Light: A Tight source which is not constant in intensity or color at all times while in use. 5. Foot candle: A unit of illumination produced on a surface, all points of which are one (1) foot from a uniform point source of one (1) candle. 6. Light Source: A single artificial point source of luminescence that emits measurable radiant energy in or near the visible spectrum. 02 -16 7. Luminaire: A complete lighting unit consisting of a Tight source and all necessary mechanical, electrical and decorative parts. 8. Outdoor Lighting: Any light source or collection of light sources, located outside a building, including but not limited to, Tight sources attached to any part of a structure, located on the surface of the ground or located on freestanding poles. 9. Outdoor Light Fixture: Outdoor electrically powered illuminating devices, outdoor lighting or reflective surfaces, lamps and similar devices, permanently installed or portable, used for illumination or advertisement. The fixture includes the hardware that houses the illumination source and to which the illumination source is attached including, but not limited to, the hardware casing. Such devices shall include, but are not limited to, search, spot, and flood lights for: a. Buildings and structures. b. Recreational areas. c. Parking lot lighting. d. Landscaping lighting. e. Signs. f. Street lighting. g. Product display area lighting. h. Building overhangs and open canopies. 10. Security Lighting: Outdoor lighting fixtures installed exclusively as a measure to reduce the possible occurrence of a crime on the property. Figure 2 - Shielding 11. Shielding: A technique or method of construction permanently covering ;` ; Shield the top and sides of a light source by a material which restricts the light emitted to be projected below an imaginary horizontal plane passing through the light fixture (see Figure 2). 12. Spillage: Any reflection, glare or other artificial Tight that emits onto ------------------------------------------------- any adjoining property or right -of -way and is above a defined maximum illumination. Loading Space: A space or berth on the same lot with a building, or contiguous to a group of buildings, for the temporary parking of a commercial vehicle while loading or unloading merchandise or materials and which abuts upon a street, alley or other appropriate means of access. 02 -17