“Trustee Ramesh reported that the draft Lighting Text Amendment moved from the Plan Commission to the ZBA this month. The ZBA made a unanimous decision to ask the Village Board to hold a public hearing on the text amendment for artificial lighting. Trustee Ramesh stated her opinion that such an ordinance would have an undue burden on the Barrington Hill’s residents and would create three different sets of concerned constituents: those who don’t wish to have further restrictions of their property rights; those who want enforcement of a strict lighting ordinance and find it can’t be effectuated by the Village; and those who want to keep their lighting as it is. She further stated such an ordinance, in her opinion, would be costly and difficult to enforce. She added that the hearing would be contentious and upsetting to residents and too stressful at this time, given the difficult economic climate. Trustee Ramesh said she would consider stricter standards of lighting for institutions and commercial properties, or the guidelines for residential lighting be mailed to residents as suggested best practices.
Trustee Knoop stated he was in disagreement with Trustee Ramesh, regarding orderly resident reaction to the proposed ordinance. He said the Village has taken several steps to educate and sensitize the community to excessive lighting. He pointed to the website description of the Village community as rural and noted that the comprehensive plan uses “rural” many times as a descriptor of the community. And yet, he said there are many examples of excessive lighting trespass throughout the Village. Currently, it is not illegal to have light trespass. His thinking is there is a need to backup education with a zoning ordinance.”
http://www.barringtonhills-il.gov/archive_links.htm?archive/vboard/20090928.html
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