Our long-awaited model for municipal outdoor-lighting regulations is finally ready for distribution. Dubbed the Contemporary Outdoor-lighting Bylaw (COB), this document is the result of nearly two years of study and research. The effort was led by Tim Brothers, with assistance from lighting professional Glenn Heinmiller and longtime advocate Kelly Beatty.

This document brings together the best elements from ordinances and bylaws that have been introduced elsewhere, including early drafts of a Model Lighting Ordinance that had been envisioned by a joint task force of DarkSky International and the Illuminating Engineering Society. While it was designed specifically for Massachusetts, it could easily be adapted elsewhere.

A growing number of municipalities throughout Massachusetts have enacted outdoor-lighting regulations or are looking to do so. (Here’s our list of all known bylaws and ordinances in the state.) But many of these provide just basic guidance (“Lighting must point downward”) or are worded too vaguely to be reliably enforced, if at all.

Our new approach provides a template that can be easily adopted by small- and medium-size towns. It’s not really suited for larger municipalities that have complex combinations of residential and commercial neighborhoods. Importantly, this template provides specific, defensible limits and restrictions — along with common-sense exemptions (for, say, holiday lighting) that municipal officials will find reasonable and enforceable. Moreover, unlike many existing and older regulations, this new approach fully encompasses the kinds of modern-day lighting challenges posed by the widespread adoption of LEDs.

You can download the Contemporary Outdoor-lighting Bylaw in two formats:
• COB (as a Word document)
• COB (as a PDF)

If you have questions — or suggestions for improvements — please contact Tim Brothers or Kelly Beatty.