The 90-day approval of an ordinance amendment that would curtail the use of “super-bright” LED strip lighting on business roofs and windows in Fayetteville will be up for review Thursday before the Fayette City Council.
City staff is recommending a permanent ban of the super-bright LED lights based on a follow-up study done at the council’s request.
Making the case for the amendment, Fayetteville Community Development Director Brian Wismer in April said that due to advances in technology, LED lighting has become a more viable option for businesses to use in a variety of indoor and outdoor uses. Most people recognize the benefits of LED lighting, specifically relating to energy savings and lamp efficiency, and want to promote the use of such lighting technology where feasible, Wismer said.
“An exception to this however, is the growing trend of using LED lights, typically in the form of channel strips or ropes, to draw attention to commercial buildings by mounting them around windows and roof lines. Sometimes referred to as ‘ultra-bright’ or ‘super-bright’ LEDs, these lights are in sharp contrast to the aesthetically pleasing architectural and landscape lighting that many Fayetteville businesses currently utilize,” said Wismer.
Wismer noted examples of LED lighting in other locations outside city limits that contribute to the visual clutter that Fayetteville has historically attempted to avoid.
Wismer in a May 25 letter said the city attorney confirmed that the prohibition for such lighting already exists and that a permanent amendment would serve to clarify the existing ordinance.
Wismer in the letter also noted large commercial property owners and managers expressed support for the amendment, as did the overwhelming number of community poll participants providing responses on the city’s Facebook page.
