Buellton on Thursday moved toward new outdoor lighting standards meant to curb light pollution.

The Buellton City Council voted unanimously to introduce for first reading an ordinance advancing “dark sky” rules designed to minimize the adverse effects of nighttime lighting.

City staff said the rules would apply mainly to new or replaced outdoor lighting, with most existing fixtures grandfathered in.

The ordinance would update the city’s zoning code standards for outdoor lighting, which have not been substantially overhauled since 1994, Associate Planner Cara Miralles said. She said the goal is to reduce light pollution while also conserving energy, preserving community character, ensuring adequate visibility and protecting wildlife.

The ordinance would regulate private property lighting, while street lighting would remain under Public Works standards.

Existing nonconforming lighting would have to be brought up to code when a project goes through a discretionary permit process, such as a conditional use permit.

Under the proposed rules, most new exterior fixtures would need to be shielded and directed downward, with general lighting limited to a maximum of 3,000 Kelvin. In sensitive natural areas, the limit would be 2,700 Kelvin, which staff said is intended to better protect wildlife.

The ordinance would prohibit high-intensity floodlights, permanent blinking or flashing lights and digital billboards.

Miralles said emergency lighting and temporary holiday or event lighting would be exempt, with allowances for certain partially shielded lights and select design styles in specific areas, such as along the Avenue of Flags.

Councilmember John Sanchez raised concerns about safety and visibility in darker stretches of the Avenue of Flags, including impacts on security cameras and pedestrian comfort.

City Manager Scott Wolfe said he had received the same complaint and suspected decades-old fixtures near Pea Soup Andersen’s, which closed in 2024, are contributing to the problem. He said he would look into whether the lights meet minimum lumen standards and bring them up to code if they do not.

Mayor David Silva asked what enforcement would look like under the new standards. Miralles said the city would handle complaints through the Buellton Code Enforcement process when a property installs new outdoor lighting or replaces a fixture with lighting that does not meet the requirements.

“But if you’re upset with your neighbor’s lighting right now, this is not going to change that correct course of action?” Silva asked.

“Correct,” Miralles replied. “Yeah, just new or replaced.”

During public comment, Theresa Reilly, a director with WE Watch, spoke in support of the ordinance and praised the stricter Kelvin standard in sensitive natural areas.

“Your staff has carefully developed an outdoor lighting ordinance that is even more thorough than the county’s excellent ordinance adopted last year. It balances varied interests, including ours,” she said.

She said the ordinance will protect the wildlife that lives near Buellton “by including the requirements that the river, creek and open space area light fixtures use the warm light of 2700 Kelvin bulbs as recommended by wildlife researchers.”

Silva expressed support for the ordinance, but said the city should monitor whether nuisance lighting from existing commercial properties remains an issue.

“I would say we may want to just keep an eye out about what a retrofit timeline looks like,” he said, encouraging residents to report current problems “so that we can know, is this fixing it? Do we need to look at a retrofit timeline?”

Silva said the city may need additional steps in the future if the ordinance doesn’t fix current issues on the table and residents are still dealing with light pollution.

The next Buellton City Council meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 12, at 6 p.m. The council meets at the Buellton City Council Chambers, located at 140 W. Highway 246 in Buellton.