§ 17.60.070. Exterior lighting.

When exterior lighting is proposed a plan prepared by an engineer/architect certified by the state of New Mexico shall be submitted addressing the following requirements prior to a certificate of occupancy being issued. The engineer/architect will certify that the exterior lighting has been installed as designed.

A.

Parking lot lighting and area lighting using light fixtures mounted on the exterior of buildings shall incorporate cut-off reflectors, light shields and other similar devices, and shall be placed such that light shining or reflected into any adjoining residential property shall not increase the light level by more than 0.5 foot candles at any point five feet or more onto the residential property.

B.

Parking lot lighting shall not exceed an average of five foot candles or a maximum spot lighting of ten foot candles. Light measurements shall be made at not more than six inches above ground.

C.

Walkway lighting shall not exceed the levels specified for parking lot lighting unless the lighting is from fixtures mounted not more than forty-two inches above the walkway level and that project light downward only.

D.

Except for "neon" type lighting, all lamps used in exterior lighting shall be designed o produce a broad spectrum of light with good color rendering.

F.

Building façade lighting is permitted on commercial or industrially zoned property west of I-25 with the following guidelines:

1.

Any building façade flood lighting shall be designed to incorporate fixtures with cut-off reflectors, light shields and other similar devices, and the fixtures shall be placed such that light level at any point ten feet or more to the side of the lighted facade shall not be increased by more than five foot candles by the facade lighting. Building facade lighting shall be placed such that light shining or reflected into any adjoining residential property shall not increase the light level by more than 0.5 foot candles at any point five feet or more onto the residential property.

2.

All lamps used for flood lighting of building facades shall be designed to produce a broad spectrum of light with good color rendering.

3.

If less than ten percent of a building facade is to be flood lighted, the average illumination of the flood lighted area shall not exceed fifty foot candles.

4.

If ten percent or more of a building facade is to be flood lighted, the average illumination shall not exceed twenty foot candles and the ratio of brightest to dimmest lighting in the lighted area shall not exceed four to one.

G.

In addition to the above sections, all exterior lighting plans shall comply with the "Night Sky Protection Act", Section 74-12-1 through 74-12-10 NMSA 1978.

(Ord. 280, 2002)