[bouldercouncilhotline] Hotline: Re: Earth Hour...Lighting Ordinance - Dark Sky Ordinance

[cmosupport at bouldercolorado.gov]

Sender: Cowles, Macon

Jim and Spense, good morning.


I was on the citizen's committee that reviewed and sponsored Boulder's Dark Sky Ordinance that, as Jim noted, was adopted in 2003 and has a 15 year amortization period. The ordinance is found at BRC 9-9-16 available here.We had our eyes directed toward dark skies when we studied what was required in order to achieve one of the objectives that is written into the ordinance: to "Provide an environmentally sensitive nighttime environment that includes the ability to view the stars against a dark sky so that people can see the Milky Way Galaxy from residential and other appropriate viewing areas."


The ordinance was adopted during a sharp staffing reduction attendant on the economic downturn in 2002. Therefore, the planning department did not, so afar as I am aware, launch the education program that had been anticipated for the Dark Sky Ordinance (DSO). To the extent that the provisions of the DSO are known, neighbors talking to neighbors can help achieve compliance from legacy fixtures.


Since passage of the DSO, sponsors of new construction within the City limits have had to comply with the DSO--something that is reviewed at the Tech Docs stage of development applications, upon submission of the building permit docs, and compliance is supposed to be checked by inspectors at final inspections of a project.


Jim, whom I know to be an astronomer and a farmer who grows great produce north of Hygiene, asked about the level of compliance of commercial establishments. I am copying David Driskell so that he can route this email for a response from the appropriate Planning Staff member. I presume that compliance with new construction since 2003 has been fairly successful. I am aware of some enforcement action for new commercial that escaped the attention of City inspectors an was initially out of compliance--the gas station at the SW corner of Valmont and 28th St., for example. Staff can comment further on this.


But I don't think we have formulated plans about how to enforce the ordinance after the 15 year amortization period is up. We probably need to remind people that they only have another three years to change out fixtures. Perhaps we should do this in conjunction with the development of our commercial smart regs whose purpose is energy savings and carbon reduction.


Macon Cowles
Boulder City Council Member
1726 Mapleton Ave.
Boulder, Colorado 80304
CowlesM at bouldercolorado.gov
(303) 447-3062
(303) 638-6884










On Mar 31, 2015, at 4:09 PM, spenser havlick <spenser.havlick at Colorado.EDU> wrote:

Hello  Macon and Tim  and Jim,
  As you Macon  and Tim  can see  Jim  Toohey has asked about the status of Boulder's Outdoor Lighting  Ordinance. I believe both of you are in a better place  to answer the question  than I am. Would either of you be willing  to check on this  and let Mr.
 Toohey  and myself know the degree of compliance that may be underway,please?
    Thanks very much,
          Spense




On Mar 27, 2015, at 10:29 PM, Jim Toohey wrote:

Hi Spense, it's been a while!  I'm glad that Earth Hour is focusing people's attention on energy conservation and climate change, but I'm REALLY glad for a reason not even mentioned in the discussion.  Earth Hour is an outstanding
 opportunity to raise awareness about light pollution!  I'm completely offended that we can see only a small fraction of the night sky's beauty that was visible to our grandparents.  In terms of views, the problem is much more severe than the effects of air
 pollution obscuring the Grand Canyon — and worse, light pollution is everywhere!  You know, a good teaching tool would be a video of the Grand Canyon with the view obscured by the daytime equivalent of the light pollution in a typical suburban sky — ouch!
  Can you tell me how successfully the City of Boulder has implemented its Outdoor Lighting Ordinance from 2003?  I recall that by 2018, all commercial light-polluting fixtures are to have been replaced.  I welcome your thoughts on the subject and would love
 to support your efforts to move things forward!

Best always,
Jim

† Jim Toohey
Pastor/Architect    
7849 Ute Trail
Hygiene, Colorado 80503
(303) 859-4495