Those who literally shine their light on others will face penalties in Guelph, thanks to the pending creation of a bylaw to restrict “excessive” light trespass.
With the concept approved by council on Tuesday evening, city staff will now craft a bylaw to that effect or propose amendments to the property standards bylaw aimed at accomplishing the same – restricting light flow from one private property to another private property.
“Like all cities, Guelph is facing the effects of light pollution, and the residents of Guelph are losing access to the night sky,” states a staff report to council “Research suggests that artificial light at night can negatively affect human health, increasing risks for obesity, depression, sleep disorders, diabetes, breast cancer and more.”
Guelph does not currently have a bylaw aimed at addressing light pollution.
A phased approach to new regulations is planned, as most outdoor light fixtures being bought today have a four to six-year lifespan on average.
The first phase would be a new bylaw or amendment on what it calls “light trespassing.”
“The intent of the regulation is to ensure light created in a property stays within the property,” the report explains. “This will not apply to street lighting or other lighting implemented by the city for safety reasons.”
No timeline for the drafting of that bylaw was provided.
The second phase is more of an education piece.
Guidelines will be developed for light fixtures that “encourage the use of full cut off light fixtures.”
Those guidelines are meant to help residents understand how to reduce light pollution when installing or replacing outdoor light fixtures.
After a five-year period, the report said staff would review progress made and possibly report to council with further recommendations.
