What’s in the Southold Town Lighting Code
Southold Town took its first steps to protect the North Fork's beautiful night sky from light pollution in 2010 with an addition to the Town Code that sets regulations on outdoor lighting to help prevent light pollution. Chapter 172 of the Southold Town Code regulated the types of lighting permitted on both residential and commercial properties. These regulations help limit light pollution, maintain community character, and keep us safe at night. If you would like to become familiar with the code you can access it here or continue reading below to learn some of the basics.
If you are familiar with the town code and have a complaint you can file it here
Figure 2 of Chapter 172 of the Southold Town Code provides a visual guide of permitted (acceptable) fixtures and prohibited (unacceptable) fixtures for outdoor lighting in Southold Town. The IDA seal of approval is given to light fixtures that are dark sky friendly.
Below is a summary of the basic regulations in Exterior Lighting 172-5 :
Uplighting of trees, building walls, fences, and foliage is prohibited
All exterior lighting fixtures installed after July 2010 must be fully shielded (zero uplight) fixtures with light bulbs rated no greater than 3000 Kelvin (soft white glow), preferably rated at 2700 Kelvin (warm white)
Shields must be installed on all motion detector lights (security lights) to prevent visible glare and light trespass on adjacent properties (the maximum illuminance at the property line of a parcel that adjoins a residential parcel or public right of way may not exceed 0.05 footcandle).
Business sign lights must be mounted on top of the sign, illuminating only the sign.
All nonessential exterior lighting (including parking lot lighting) must be turned off within a half hour after the close of business and/or when not in use.
Holiday lights are only allowed between Thanksgiving and January 15th and must be turned off by 12:59am
Light that projects across property lines (light trespass) is not permitted. Be respectful of your neighbors by making sure your lights are only lighting up your property.
For more information, you can read the full code here.