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05.b UDC Amendment for Exterior Lighting Standards - PC Packet 1 | P a g e Date of Meeting: December 2, 2025 To: Chair Loeffler and Members of the Planning Commission From: T.J. Hofer, Consultant City Planner Re: UDC Amendment for Exterior Lighting Standards City staff have prepared an ordinance amendment to increase standards for exterior lighting in the AP, AG-C, RR-G, RR-N, and V-N Zoning Districts. BACKGROUND At the October 20, 2025, City Council meeting, a Request for Council Action (RCA) was heard regarding exterior lighting on a recently constructed single-family dwelling located on 182nd Street North. The Council discussed the photographs included in the RCA and agreed that the conditions in the photographs were inconsistent with the desire of the Council. The Council discussed the existing standards for exterior lighting. Staff noted that the standards could be amended to address what appeared to be the issues shown in the photographs in the RCA. The Council directed staff to prepare an amendment to the Unified Development Code (UDC) to increase the standards for exterior lighting. Prior to the October Council meeting, city staff were aware of the issue and had notified the applicant of the building permit that action must be taken. After the Council meeting staff met with the applicant on site and verified that the lights had been reduced in intensity. Staff have received further complaints regarding the lighting and are continuing to investigate the issue. Two standards exist in the UDC for exterior lighting in the zoning districts that are largely agricultural and residential that address shielding and intensity. In the violation shown in the RCA, the intensity of the lighting was early inconsistent with the standards in the code. The shield of the lights, however, did not appear to be in violation of the code as a specific cutoff was not required for the lights and they were installed on an angled surface, leading to additional light being cast away from the structure. Staff identified this as a potential issue during the October Council meeting. OVERVIEW OF DRAFT ORDINANCE Staff have drafted the attached amendment to amend the existing standards to increase standards for exterior lighting located in AP, AG-C, RR-G, RR-N, and V-N zoning districts. The following ordinance language shows removed text as red strikethrough and added text as red underline. II. In the AP, AG-C, RR-G, RR-N, and V-N Zoning Districts, any lighting used to illuminate an off-street parking area, structure, or area must be arranged as to deflect light away from any adjoining residential property or from the public street. 2 | P a g e a. Shielding. The light source must be hooded or controlled so as not to light adjacent property in excess of the maximum intensity as defined throughout this Section. The luminaire must contain a cutoff that directs and cuts off the light at an angle of 90 degrees or less. Bare light bulbs are not permitted in view of adjacent property or public right of way. Staff propose an amendment to the standards for the AP, AG-C, RR-G, RR-N, and V-N zoning districts to mirror the language of the standards for the V-C, V-HC, R-C, and I-P zoning districts. Requiring a 90 degree or less cutoff means that lights cannot cast light upwards. In the issue presented in the RCA from the October City Council meeting, the lights causing issues were lights installed in the soffits of an angled roof on a two story building. These lights cast light at an upward angle because they were not installed perpendicular with the ground. With the above language a soffit light would be require to be installed perpendicular to the ground and the spread of light from the fixture would be reduced and not directed upwards. b. Intensity. No light source or combination thereof which casts light on a public street may exceed 1 foot candle meter reading as measured from the centerline of said street nor shall any light source or combination thereof which casts light on adjacent property exceed 0.4 foot candles as measured at the property line. c. Height. The maximum height above the ground grade permitted for light sources mounted on a pole is 18 feet. A light source mounted on a building shall not exceed the height of the building and no light sources shall be located on the roof unless said light enhances the architectural features of the building and is approved by the Zoning Administrator. Staff have included a modified standard related to height found in the standards for V-C, V-HC, R-C, and I-P zoning districts. No height standards previously existed for the height of lights in the AP, AG-C, RR-G, RR-N, and V-N zoning districts. While lights placed on poles are uncommon in these zoning districts, they are still utilized on larger lots. Staff modified this standard to remove the allowance to exceed 18 ft. with a conditional use permit that is allowed in the V-C, V-HC, R-C, and I-P zoning districts. ANALYSIS Staff Analysis Staff believe the additional standards proposed in the ordinance amendment will provide the City with tools to limit exterior lighting on structures in the AP, AG-C, RR-G, RR-N, and V-N zoning districts. During the October City Council meeting there were two other aspects of a possible amendment that were discussed: photometric plans and color of lighting. Staff stated during the October Council meeting that requiring a photometric plan was extremely uncommon with single-family residential projects and that requiring a photometric plan was a disproportionate response to the issue. While this means that issues related to exterior lighting are dealt with exclusively in a reactionary instead of preventative way, staff are able to require photometric plans when needed. Staff does not recommend requiring a photometric plan with single-family residential projects. 3 | P a g e During the meeting, there was discussion between colors of lighting and how the color of light impacts preferences around how exterior lighting looks. Generally, cooler temperatures of light tend to look brighter than warmer temperatures of lights. This has been amplified by the increasing presence of LED bulbs, which are generally capable of creating higher intensity lighting. Staff reviewed seven municipalities in the area (Forest Lake, Chisago City, Stillwater, White Bear Lake, Hugo, Mahtomedi, and Lino Lakes) and found that none of them regulate lighting color. Aside from the uncommon nature of regulating exterior lighting color, staff notes that the enforcement of such a standard is nearly impossible. Adopting a standard that limits exterior lighting to a warmer color thereby changes every cool colored light in the city to a nonconformity. Additionally, any bulb that is changed has an opportunity for a nonconformity to be continued or created. Enforcement of a standard that regulates exterior lighting color would be extremely time-consuming in terms of staff hours and resources. Staff does not recommend an amendment to the UDC that regulates exterior lighting color. Other Standards Staff discussed two additional standards that the Planning Commission may wish to discuss, height limits for lights on structures and farm light poles. If a standard is adopted for the AP, AG-C, RR-G, RR-N, and V-N zoning districts for light pole height, the Planning Commission may also want to discuss height limitations on exterior lighting located on structures in these zoning districts. If the Planning Commission did desire these, it may be relevant to limit the height based on stories of the building rather than a numerical value. Story is defined in the UDC and is usable in this context. Also, the Planning Commission may wish to discuss specific language that limits this kind of standard to only new light fixtures or new construction. This kind of standard would create a large number of nonconformities that will be very difficult to enforce. Including language such as “any new exterior lighting fixtures” or “any new structure,” along with a referenced date, can create an allowance for what already exists within the city. If this exception is used staff will not be able to address the nonconformities created with the standard. Staff have recommended the addition standard regarding light poles to be consistent with the other zoning districts, however, lights located on utility poles on agricultural and rural lots installed by power companies are common and may exceed this limit. An exception could be included to except lights on utility poles from this standard. COMMISSION ACTION The Planning Commission can do one of the following: 1. Recommend approval, with or without conditions, of the attached resolution. 2. Recommend denial, with findings, of the attached resolution. 3. Table the request for further review/study. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the Planning Commission open a public hearing and receive any and all comments from the public. 4 | P a g e Staff recommend the Planning Commission recommend approval of the ordinance amendment regarding exterior lighting standards, with any amendments deemed necessary: Motion to recommend the City Council approval of the attached ordinance to amend 153.400.030 of the Unified Development Code regarding exterior lighting standards, with the findings and conditions described within the staff report. Attachments A. Draft Ordinance 2025-XX Amendment Regarding Exterior Lighting Standards B. Zoning Map C. “Citizen Request for Action - Sam Divita - Exterior Lighting for Residential Houses,” October 21, 2025, Agenda Item, City of Scandia City Council D. Unified Development Code 153.400.030 Site and Building Design Subd. 4 Lighting Added Text – Red Underline Removed Text – Red Strikethrough Page 1 of 2 CITY OF SCANDIA ORDINANCE NO.: 2025-XX AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE SCANDIA UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE 153.400.030 REGARDING EXTERIOR LIGHTING STANDARDS The City Council of the City of Scandia, Washington County, Minnesota hereby ordains: Section 1 Amendment. The City of Scandia Unified Development Code (“Development Code,” or “Code”), Chapter 153.400.030 Site and Building Design Subd. 4 (D) Performance Standards, shall be amended by adding the underlined text and deleting the stricken text as follows: II. In the AP, AG-C, RR-G, RR-N, and V-N Zoning Districts, any lighting used to illuminate an off-street parking area, structure, or area must be arranged as to deflect light away from any adjoining residential property or from the public street. a. Shielding. The light source must be hooded or controlled so as not to light adjacent property in excess of the maximum intensity as defined throughout this Section. The luminaire must contain a cutoff that directs and cuts off the light at an angle of 90 degrees or less. Bare light bulbs are not permitted in view of adjacent property or public right of way. b. Intensity. No light source or combination thereof which casts light on a public street may exceed 1 foot candle meter reading as measured from the centerline of said street nor shall any light source or combination thereof which casts light on adjacent property exceed 0.4 foot candles as measured at the property line. c. Height. The maximum height above the ground grade permitted for light sources mounted on a pole is 18 feet. A light source mounted on a building shall not exceed the height of the building and no light sources shall be located on the roof unless said light enhances the architectural features of the building and is approved by the Zoning Administrator. Section 2 Planning Commission. The Planning Commission discussed the proposed ordinance at their December 2, 2025, meeting and held a public hearing on the amendment. No comments were made at the public hearing. The Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of the ordinance, with amendments. ATTACHMENT A Added Text – Red Underline Removed Text – Red Strikethrough Page 2 of 2 Section 3 Effective Date. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect upon its adoption. Passed and adopted by the City Council of the City of Scandia this 16th day of December 2025. Steve Kronmiller, Mayor ATTEST: Kyle Morell, City Administrator ATTACHMENT B Citizen Request for Action Form for the public to request a topic be added to the next Council Work Session agenda. Name:* Sam DiVita Phone * 6512458101 Email * sdivita13@gmail.com Simple Description of Request:* exterior lighting on residential new construction and remodels Details of request:* Please see attached letter Optional Uploads request for ordinance c hange related to reside ntial exterior lighting 1).pdf 390.49KB ATTACHMENT C 1 Kyle Morell From:Sam DiVita <sdivita13@gmail.com> Sent:Saturday, September 6, 2025 8:03 AM To:s.kronmiller; Kyle Morell Subject:Re: Issue in 182nd St N More photos from the 9 pm hour: Sent from my iPhone On Sep 5, 2025, at 8:18 PM, Sam DiVita <sdivita13@gmail.com> wrote: Hello, I just discovered a very terrible situation with the new construction at Norell and 182nd St. Lights bright enough to appear as daylight. This cannot happen. Who exactly approved this plan? What exactly will you do to reverse this? We will not tolerate these lights. I can see the lights from my driveway a half block away. The lights are lighting neighboring properties. Photos taken at 8 pm. A neighbor will try to get more pics once completely dark. Sam DiVita 2 3 Sent from my iPhone City of Scandia, MN CHAPTER 153: UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE (UDC) SECTION 153.400 DEVELOPMENT, CHARACTER AND BUILDING STANDARDS 153.400 Adopted 09.20.2022, Last Amended 11.18.2025 (Ordinance No. 2025-15) page-15 III. Finished Building Material for Principal Structures. Except for agricultural accessory buildings and buildings covered under Section 153.400.040 Character Area Standards and/or as otherwise approved by the City Council, exterior building finishes must consist of materials comparable in grade and quality to the following, unless otherwise provided by this Section: a. Brick b. Natural stone c. Decorative concrete block or professionally designed pre-cast concrete units if the surfaces have been integrally treated with an applied decorative material or texture, or decorative block and if incorporated in a building design that is compatible with other development throughout the district. d. Wood, vinyl, steel, cement fiberboard or aluminum lap siding provided the surfaces are finished for exterior use and proven to have exterior durability, such as cedar, redwood, and cypress. e. Stucco, cementitious coating. f. Architectural metal panels for roofing and accents only. (B) Residential Accessory Structures. I. Accessory buildings on parcels less than 20.0 acres in size must provide a minimum one-foot overhang on all sides of the building with finished soffits except when the building is accessory to a principal residential home constructed with no or minimal overhang in which case the overhang of the accessory building must match the overhang of the residential building. II. All accessory buildings on parcels of 4 acres or less, excluding road right-of-way, must resemble, in style, materials, color, roofline, and siding type, the principal building on the lot, except the following building types may vary from this standard: a. Accessory Buildings 120 sq. ft. or less in size (this exception is not applicable to the General Standards set forth in Section (A)1; b. Greenhouses; c. Gazebos and decorative shelters; d. Historic Buildings III. Any Residential Accessory Building located on a non-contiguous parcel owned by the same Owner, must meet the following standards: a. Must be designed to be consistent and compatible with the Principal Structure. Design must include a compatible architectural design, and the same or similar material and color palette as that of the Principal Structure. Subd. 4. Lighting . The City’s standards regarding exterior or outdoor lighting are established to regulate the character of the City consistent with the character and development patterns of the community. The following standards regarding outdoor and exterior lighting apply in all Zoning Districts: (A) Applicability. The standards in this section apply to Outdoor Lighting of any structure, lot or area. (B) Exemptions. The standards of this section do not apply to the following: I. The use of temporary outdoor lighting during customary holiday seasons provided that individual lamps are 10 watts or less. II. The use of temporary outdoor lighting used for civic celebrations and promotions. III. Lighting required and regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration or other federal or state agency. ATTACHMENT D City of Scandia, MN CHAPTER 153: UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE (UDC) SECTION 153.400 DEVELOPMENT, CHARACTER AND BUILDING STANDARDS 153.400 Adopted 09.20.2022, Last Amended 11.18.2025 (Ordinance No. 2025-15) page-16 IV. Emergency lighting by police, fire and rescue authorities. V. Street lighting on City streets and State and County Highways. (C) Method of Measuring Light Intensity. The foot-candle level of a light source must be taken after dark with the light meter held 6 inches above the ground with the meter facing the light source. A reading must be taken with the light source on, then with the light source off. The difference between the two readings will be identified as the illumination intensity. (D) Performance Standards. I. Lighting plans must be reviewed for compatibility with the Scandia Architectural Design Guidelines, as applicable. II. In the AP, AG-C, RR-G, RR-N and V-N Zoning Districts, any lighting used to illuminate an off- street parking area, structure or area must be arranged as to deflect light away from any adjoining residential property or from the public street. a. Shielding. The light source must be hooded or controlled so as not to light adjacent property in excess of the maximum intensity as defined throughout this Section. Bare light bulbs are not permitted in view of adjacent property or public right of way. b. Intensity. No light source or combination thereof which casts light on a public street may exceed 1 foot candle meter reading as measured from the centerline of said street nor shall any light source or combination thereof which casts light on adjacent property exceed 0.4 foot candles as measured at the property line. III. In the V-C, V-HC, R-C and I-P Zoning Districts, any lighting used to illuminate an off-street parking area, structure or area must be arranged as to deflect light away from any adjoining property or from the public street. a. Shielding. The luminaire must contain a cutoff that directs and cuts off the light at an angle of 90 degrees or less. b. Intensity. No light source or combination thereof which casts light on a public street shall exceed 1 foot candle meter reading as measured from the centerline of said street nor shall any light source or combination thereof which casts light on adjacent property exceed 0.4 foot candles as measured at the property line. c. Height. The maximum height above the ground grade permitted for light sources mounted on a pole is 18 feet except by conditional use permit. A light source mounted on a building shall not exceed the height of the building and no light sources shall be located on the roof unless said light enhances the architectural features of the building and is approved by the Zoning Administrator. d. Hours. The use of outdoor lighting for parking lots serving commercial and industrial businesses is restricted according to the following. Outdoor lighting that serves businesses that do not operate after dark shall be turned off 1 hour after closing except for approved security lighting. For those businesses that offer services after dark, outdoor lighting may be utilized during the nighttime hours provided the business is open for service. Once the business closes, the outdoor lighting shall be turned off 1 hour after closing except for security lighting. IV. Outdoor Recreation. Outdoor recreational uses such as, but not limited to baseball fields, football fields, tennis courts and snow skiing areas have special requirements for nighttime lighting. Due to these unique circumstances, a conditional use permit is required for all new outdoor lighting fixtures that do not meet the regulations stated above. a. No outdoor recreation facility whether public or private may be illuminated after 11:00 PM unless the lighting fixtures conform to 153.300.030 Subd. 4. (D) II153.300.030Subd. 4(D)IIII, above. City of Scandia, MN CHAPTER 153: UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE (UDC) SECTION 153.400 DEVELOPMENT, CHARACTER AND BUILDING STANDARDS 153.400 Adopted 09.20.2022, Last Amended 11.18.2025 (Ordinance No. 2025-15) page-17 b. Off street parking areas for outdoor recreation uses which are illuminated must meet the requirements stated in 153.300.030 Subd. 4. (D) II. (E) Prohibitions. The following outdoor light fixtures are prohibited within the City of Scandia: I. Search lights or sky trackers II. Flashing, blinking or rotating lights III. Neon lighting on the exterior of a building IV. Raceway lighting V. Exposed fluorescent tubes VI. Mercury vapor lamps VII. Laser lights VIII. Back lit canopies or awnings (F) Submission of Plans. The applicant for any permit requiring outdoor lighting must submit evidence the proposed outdoor lighting will comply with this UDC. The submission must contain the following in addition to other required data for the specific permit: I. Plans indicating the location on the premises, and the type of illuminating devices, fixtures, lamps, supports, reflectors and other devices. II. Description of illuminating devices, fixtures, lamps, supports, reflectors and other devices and the description may include, but is not limited to, catalog cuts by manufacturers and drawings (including sections where required); III. Photometric data, such as that furnished by manufacturers, or similar showing the angle of the cutoff or light emissions. 153.400.040 CHARACTER AREA STANDARDS Subd. 1. Purpose and Intent. The City’s Base Zoning Districts are categorized and organized by Character Area as defined in [Section 153.200.010]. The development patterns and forms throughout the City differ by Character Area. The standards contained within this Section are intended to support and reinforce the desired physical development patterns and forms in the City based on the described Character Area. (A) Applicability. The following Character Area Standards do not apply to single-family detached residences or the accessory structures that are used by the inhabitants of the principal structure , unless expressly stated in subsection (B). (B) Architectural Design Standards. The City’s adopted Design Guidelines are standards which are generally suggested and encouraged. This Section is established to identify those standards and suggestions from the Design Guidelines that are required and are defined as the Architectural Design Standards. The following Architectural Design Standards are organized by Character Area. I. Character Area: Agricultural Districts (A-P and AG-C). This Character Area is defined by larger tracts of land that are used for active agricultural, small hobby farms, rural residential and associated accessory uses and activities. Single-family homes, accessory structures and farmsteads are typically setback from public rights-of-way and are buffered from adjacent properties and uses with vegetation and /or natural topography. The following standards are established for any non- residential use, conditional or interim use that proposes a new structure, expansion, or modification of an existing structure. The purpose of the following is to reinforce the character of this area as described herein: a. Architectural Design. Design of new structures must reference design elements of existing historic rural buildings if present onside including barns, farmhouses and schoolhouses.