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By Gerald Ochs
Rappahannock News Writer
An outdoor lighting ordinance has been drafted by the Planning Commission’s Lighting Ordinance Committee, and it is currently under review by the full commission and by the committees consultant, Charlottesville-based lighting consultant and dark sky proponent Mark Schuyler.
The objective of this ordinance is to “preserve, protect and enhance the lawful nighttime use and eiyoyfflent
of any and all property through the use of appropriate lighting^practices and systems,” meaning that it is designed to ensure that Rappahannock residents can maintain their privacy and enjoy evenings outdoors without being subjected to glare and light spill over from nearby properties.
Jim Gannon, President of the Rappahannock League for Environmental Protection (RLEP), had a hand in initiating wprWon the ordinance when he spoke !>effere the Planning Commission nearly a year ago. At that time, Mr. Gannon presented the Commission with an exhaustive outdoor lighting document that was developed and furnished “because there is a need for a comprehensive outdoor lighting ordinance in Rappahannock County to increase safety, provide security, prevent light pollution, and enhance the general welfare of the County.”
County Administrator John McCarthy, at the August 2000 meeting of the Planning Commission, praised RLEP’s efforts in preparing the document, and proposed that the Commission establish a committee to draft an outdoor lighting ordinance. They did so, and , Planning Commission members Tom Junk, Tom Tepper, and Ron Frazier volunteered for the committee and were joined by Don Audette, who had played a major role in preparing the RLEP document.
Since that time, under the continued encouragement and prompting by Planning Commission Chairman Werner Krebser, the committee has reviewed hundreds of pages of relevant documents and the ordinances of other localities, and crafted its draft for review by the members of the Commission and , ultimately, by the public and the Board of Supervisors.
The ordinance, as drafted, is straightforward and applies to outdoor lighting for non-residential applications including, but not limited to, buildings and structures (including canopies and overhangs), recreational areas, parking lots,
See LIGHTS, Page A5
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