On May 11, 2010, at the Ojai City Council meeting, during Unscheduled Items, Ojai resident Martin Potter spoke eloquently for three minutes on light pollution. He gave a history of how he has been trying to get the City to enforce their own ordinance for five years! Here is what he said:
My name is Martin Potter and I live at 108 East Eucalyptus Street. I’m here tonight to speak about enforcement of the City of Ojai Zoning Regulation which deals with light pollution.
Light pollution is the nighttime spill of light upward and outside the boundaries of the property which the light is installed. Light pollution tends to light an otherwise dark sky and interferes with our ability to see the stars, and it is a global problem.
For example, the glow from LA can be detected in Yosemite. But besides being an aesthetic problem, it also is a physiological problem.
Night lighting of plants disrupts their biological clock and can affect the timing of certain plant functions, such as leaf drop. In animals, and people, excessive night light changes the production of the hormone melatonin, affecting several biological functions. Some birds will not nest in trees which are illuminated at night.
I became aware of the issue of light pollution by attending a workshop in 2002 at UCLA. I thought then that Ojai should have an ordinance prohibiting light pollution. I was pleased to discover the City does have an ordinance prohibiting light pollution.
Sec. 10-2.806(b)(2) of the Zoning Regulations of the City of Ojai states; “All lighting of landscaping, parking areas, structures, or similar facilities shall be directed downward and shielded so that all light and glare is confined within the boundaries of the subject parcel.”
I then began to notice many locations in the City that were in violation of the regulation. Most notably, Los Arboles condominiums, on Montgomery Street, contains several bright spotlights along the sidewalk that point straight up. The Ojai Valley museum has bright wall-wash lights which mostly shine up into the sky. I was told by the museum director that the City owned the property and was responsible for the lights. The City is therefore in violation of its own code.
I’ve spent the past five years bringing this issue to the attention of the code enforcement folks, and I’ve filed a formal complaint. Initially I was told it would be taken care of, and eventually I was told there wasn’t enough money in the budget to enforce non-safety or health regulations. I even spoke with the City Manager’s office to see about getting on the agenda for a City Council meeting. Instead I was invited to meet with the City Manager and staff. I was told by the City Manager that the lighting regulation is not enforceable and the City has no intention of enforcing it.
So that is why I’m here, to make you aware of this.
It is a very simply worded regulation. I don't believe it should be up to City staff to decide a City Zoning Regulation is not worthy of enforcement. It seems to me this is the job of the City Council. This is a problem that can be fixed relatively easily, in most cases. Most lights can be put in compliance simply by installing shields to keep light contained within the property.
We live in Ojai because it’s not like LA. Most people live in Ojai because it’s not like LA. We want to be able to see the stars at night and not have our health affected. Please enforce this important regulation.
Posted by Suza Francina
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