Sally
Beach Fanatic
Hello everyone,
I apologize for this late notice. I have just confirmed that the proposed Lighting Ordinance and the Nature Walk Beach Club development in Seagrove Beach are on the agenda for the Planning Commission Thursday night. (Feb. 8th) The Planning Commission meets at the South Walton Annex starting at 5 PM.
Following the Planning Commission hearing each of the topics must then go to a public hearing before the County Commissioners. Here is some info for you.
Proposed Countywide Lighting Ordinance. This proposed ordinance is intended to prevent light trespass, conserve energy, increase visibility and generally ?promote the welfare of county residents?. It applies to business, residential, community driveway, sidewalk and property lights. Here is a very general synopsis of the substantive provisions :
1. It establishes a maximum light level for the different areas (e.g., dwelling, street). Measured in foot candles
2. Restricts the amount of glare in certain commercial and manufacturing districts
3. Requires that flood lights must be aimed down or shielded so that the light basically shines down rather
than out to other properties or street
4. Restricts angle of illumination of flood lamps emitting more than 10,000 lumens
5. Requires that wall pack fixtures (flush mounted fixture on vertical wall) be cut off fixtures
6. All fixtures must be semi-cutoff or full cutoff in designated Scenic Corridors
7. Regulates parking lot and other outdoor areas through requirement of cutoff lights, pole height limit,etc.
8. Regulates lights for vehicular canopies (roofed, open, drive-through structures which provides temporary
shelter for vehicles while occupants are utilizing the business) (e.g., gas station)
9. Regulates outdoor sports field lighting and outdoor performance areas
10. Regulates outdoor display areas
11. Regulates sign lighting to restrict light to the sign
12. Requires lighting of building and landscaping must be installed to keep illumination away from adjoining
property
13. Requires a permit for any work involving lighting. There was an issue about whether this permit
requirement applied to single family residences. County will consider an exemption Thursday night.
14. Ordinance will apply to all new lighting and any replacement lighting after the effective date of the
Ordinance. Otherwise, existing lights will have 5 1/2 years to come into compliance.
15. My understanding is that investigation for non-compliance will be complaint based as opposed to routine
inspections by the county.
The Ordinance is more technical than I have presented here. For a copy please contact the Planning Department at the South Walton Annex. I?ll let you know what happens.
Nature Walk Beach Club. It is my understanding that the developers have made some concessions in response to public comment. For example, they have agreed to remove the retail store. They are also considering the issue of access off Headland Avenue.
SWCC has presented several legal issues to the developers and the county. (e.g., compliance with the requirement that a building on CR 30A cannot exceed 65% of the lot width, additional set back for a building over 2 stories in an area predominated by one to two story structures, etc.) At this point we do not know whether the county will support the developer?s request for a variance on some of the legal issues.
For those of you who are concerned about this development, it is important for you to attend the Planning Commission to see and hear the developer?s final plans.
We will also be monitoring what happens at the Planning Commission.
Anita Page
SWCC Executive Director
I apologize for this late notice. I have just confirmed that the proposed Lighting Ordinance and the Nature Walk Beach Club development in Seagrove Beach are on the agenda for the Planning Commission Thursday night. (Feb. 8th) The Planning Commission meets at the South Walton Annex starting at 5 PM.
Following the Planning Commission hearing each of the topics must then go to a public hearing before the County Commissioners. Here is some info for you.
Proposed Countywide Lighting Ordinance. This proposed ordinance is intended to prevent light trespass, conserve energy, increase visibility and generally ?promote the welfare of county residents?. It applies to business, residential, community driveway, sidewalk and property lights. Here is a very general synopsis of the substantive provisions :
1. It establishes a maximum light level for the different areas (e.g., dwelling, street). Measured in foot candles
2. Restricts the amount of glare in certain commercial and manufacturing districts
3. Requires that flood lights must be aimed down or shielded so that the light basically shines down rather
than out to other properties or street
4. Restricts angle of illumination of flood lamps emitting more than 10,000 lumens
5. Requires that wall pack fixtures (flush mounted fixture on vertical wall) be cut off fixtures
6. All fixtures must be semi-cutoff or full cutoff in designated Scenic Corridors
7. Regulates parking lot and other outdoor areas through requirement of cutoff lights, pole height limit,etc.
8. Regulates lights for vehicular canopies (roofed, open, drive-through structures which provides temporary
shelter for vehicles while occupants are utilizing the business) (e.g., gas station)
9. Regulates outdoor sports field lighting and outdoor performance areas
10. Regulates outdoor display areas
11. Regulates sign lighting to restrict light to the sign
12. Requires lighting of building and landscaping must be installed to keep illumination away from adjoining
property
13. Requires a permit for any work involving lighting. There was an issue about whether this permit
requirement applied to single family residences. County will consider an exemption Thursday night.
14. Ordinance will apply to all new lighting and any replacement lighting after the effective date of the
Ordinance. Otherwise, existing lights will have 5 1/2 years to come into compliance.
15. My understanding is that investigation for non-compliance will be complaint based as opposed to routine
inspections by the county.
The Ordinance is more technical than I have presented here. For a copy please contact the Planning Department at the South Walton Annex. I?ll let you know what happens.
Nature Walk Beach Club. It is my understanding that the developers have made some concessions in response to public comment. For example, they have agreed to remove the retail store. They are also considering the issue of access off Headland Avenue.
SWCC has presented several legal issues to the developers and the county. (e.g., compliance with the requirement that a building on CR 30A cannot exceed 65% of the lot width, additional set back for a building over 2 stories in an area predominated by one to two story structures, etc.) At this point we do not know whether the county will support the developer?s request for a variance on some of the legal issues.
For those of you who are concerned about this development, it is important for you to attend the Planning Commission to see and hear the developer?s final plans.
We will also be monitoring what happens at the Planning Commission.
Anita Page
SWCC Executive Director
The general lighting ordinance as described above by SWCC is what's on the table currently. There is a second ordinance, for sea turtle lighting, that has yet to move forward to the planning commission.
