Palo Alto approves dark sky ordinance, sets earlier curfew
Palo Alto approves dark sky ordinance, sets earlier curfew
The Palo Alto City Council has approved a new dark sky ordinance, implementing stricter measures to reduce light pollution. Key provisions include an earlier curfew for outdoor lighting, shifting from midnight to 11 p.m., and a broader application of new lighting standards to both new and replacement fixtures. The ordinance mandates specific light brightness levels (0.1-foot candle), a maximum light temperature (2700 K), and requires lights not to cross property lines, with some exemptions for emergency services and certain low-voltage or motion sensor lights. Environmental advocates supported the stricter version, citing benefits for sleep, energy use, and wildlife, while some residents expressed concerns about enforcement, noncompliance, and potential impacts on safety, leading to neighborhood exemptions that caused dissent among council members.
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the exemption of some neighborhoods is worthy of debate and calls into question this well intentioned initiative.
it's a pretty heavy lever to encourage a civic commitment to seeing the dark sky through laws, fines and punishments.
it is likely a more difficult to try the carrot approach, but if those challenges could be addressed, it might not only feel better but may see faster adoption.
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