TITLE
Vote on a request to approve the Chatham County Board of Commissioners to repeal the Chatham County Lighting Ordinance. The purpose of this Ordinance is to provide outdoor lighting regulations for the unzoned portions of the County.
ABSTRACT
Action Requested:
Request by Chatham County Board of Commissioners to repeal the Chatham County Lighting Ordinance. The purpose of this Ordinance is to provide outdoor lighting regulations for the unzoned portions of the County.
Introduction & Background:
During the April 18, 2016 Board of Commissioners meeting a public hearing was scheduled to repeal the Chatham County Lighting Ordinance. This request is a result of the Board's decision during the March 21, 2016 meeting to extend zoning to areas of the county that are currently unzoned. During the zoning discussion, planning staff noted that if zoning applies countywide that the Lighting Ordinance would no longer be necessary since there is a lighting section in the Zoning Ordinance. The Planning Board discussed the item during their July 12, 2016 meeting.
Discussion & Analysis:
The Lighting Ordinance was adopted by the Board of Commissioners in September 2009 with an effective date of January 1, 2010. A copy of the ordinance can be viewed at the following website link - http://www.chathamnc.org/index.aspx?page=440 and selecting "Countywide Lighting Ordinance". The ordinance was adopted to apply to unzoned areas of the county and the text mirrors Section 13, Lighting, of the Zoning Ordinance. The Commissioners intent was to have uniform standards apply throughout the county. The standards only apply to exterior lighting and there are standards for residential, non-residential, and street lighting. The stand-alone ordinance will no longer be needed is zoning is adopted for the remainder of the county.
A public hearing was held on June 6, 2016 to receive comments on the proposal to repeal the Lighting Ordinance and no-one provided comment. If the Board of Commission...
Click here for full text