Minutes April 5, 2010
Regular Meeting
Planning Board Agenda for Monday, April 5, 2010
7:00 Continuation of Zoning Hearing (Article 13 Ward Street Fields Lighting)
_____________
Present: Planning Board Members, Judy Sneath, Chairman, Paul Healey, Clerk, Sarah Corey,
and Gary Tondorf-Dick. Also present was Planner Katharine Lacy.
7:00 Continuation of Zoning Hearing
The Board met with proponent for the Ward Street Fields to continue public hearings on the creation of a proposed Recreational Fields Overlay District where outdoor lights up to 80’ tall would be permitted, with a Special Permit A2. At the conclusion of the hearing, the Board voted to recommend that Town Meeting vote favorably on the following proposed amendment to the Zoning By-Law.
“Will the Town amend the Zoning By-Law of the Town of Hingham, adopted March 10, 1941, as heretofore amended, as follows:
Item 1: By amending the “Zoning Map, Part A, Town of Hingham”, as heretofore amended, to add the following parcels within the Recreational Field Overlay District: (i) Assessor’s Map 134, Lot 16, and (ii) a portion of Assessor’s Map 124, Lot 32, comprised of 18.61 acres of land, more or less, as shown as “Map 124, Lot 32 (b)” on plan “Proposed Recreational Field Overlay District Plan, dated 3/1/2010, prepared by Tetra Tech, 10 Forbes Road, Braintree MA.”
Item 2: By amending Section II-B to add the following in numerical sequence: “Recreational Fields Overlay District.”
Item 3 By inserting prior to Section III-G, the following Section and re-number Section III-G and III-H accordingly:
Recreational Fields Overlay District
1. Purpose
The purpose of this Section is to establish an overlay district which allows for lighting structures, accessory to active recreational fields, of a height in excess of that otherwise permitted by this zoning by-law, with minimal impact to the public health, safety and general welfare of the surrounding area.
2. Objectives
(a) Provide for lighting sufficient for the safety of the players of the sport or sports to be played on the recreational fields;
(b) Regulate the types, construction, installation and use of outdoor recreational field lighting devices consistent with applicable lighting industry standards;
(c) Encourage lighting practices and systems that mitigate light trespass and glare in order to minimize impacts upon the natural and aesthetic qualities of the surrounding area, including the night sky; and
(d) Encourage lighting practices and systems that conserve energy while still maintaining the necessary safety, security, and utility of the recreational fields.
3. Location
The Recreational Fields Overlay District shall include the following parcels located on Ward Street: (i) Assessors Map 134, Lot 16, and (ii) a portion of Assessors Map 124, Lot 32, comprised of 18.61 acres of land, more or less, as shown on The Zoning Map, Part A, Town of Hingham.
4. Special Permit Uses
The Board of Appeals may grant a Special Permit A2 for an increase in the height limits of this zoning by-law up to, but not exceeding eighty (80) feet, for light poles supporting luminaires, that illuminate recreational fields that are located on land owned by the Town of Hingham within the Recreational Fields Overlay District, and which are operated as a recreational use and meet the site criteria identified in Section 8, hereunder. In determining whether to grant a special permit, and in determining what conditions, in addition to the Planning Board site plan conditions, should be attached to the grant of a special permit, the Board of Appeals shall take into account the application’s compliance with the standards set forth in this Section and its compliance with the provisions of Section I-F and I-G of this by-law.
5. Definitions
Certified Lighting Professional – A lighting professional that is certified by the National Council on Qualifications for Lighting Professionals (NCQLP) or a licensed professional engineer, architect or landscape architect having at least 3 years of sports lighting-related experience.
Direct Light – Light emitted directly from the lamp, from the reflector or reflector diffuser, or through the refractor or diffuser lens of a luminaire.
Foot Candle (fc) –A measure of light falling on any given surface. One foot candle is equal to the amount of light generated by one candle shining on a square foot surface one foot away. Foot candles can be measured both horizontally and vertically by a light meter, a device that measures the amount of light energy falling on a given surface.
Full Cutoff (FCO) –A luminaire which is fully shielded and also meets the IESNA glare requirement limiting intensity of light from the luminaire in the region between 80° and 90°.
Fully Shielded – Constructed in such a manner that no light emitted by the fixture, either directly from the lamp or a diffusing element, or indirectly by reflection or refraction from any part of the luminaire, is projected above a horizontal plane passing through the lowest direct-light-emitting part of the luminaire.
Glare – Light emitted from a luminaire with an intensity great enough to produce annoyance, discomfort, or a reduction in a viewer’s ability to see
Indirect Light – Direct Light that has been reflected off the surface of any permanently constructed object other than the source luminaire.
IESNA – Illuminating Engineering Society of North America. A professional association of lighting engineers and lighting manufacturers generally recognized as the definitive source for illumination recommendations in the United States.
IES Photometric File - A collection of data that describes the flow of light at specific angles from the luminaire assembled by the manufacturer in the format developed by the IESNA.
Illuminance – The amount of light falling on a surface, measured in foot candles.
Lamp – The light source component of a luminaire that produces the actual light (i.e., the bulb).
Light Trespass – Direct or indirect light produced by outdoor lighting which shines outside the boundaries of the lot containing the luminaire.
Luminaire – A complete outdoor lighting unit or fixture including a lamp or lamps, together with the parts designed to distribute the light, to position and protect the lamps, and to connect the lamps to the power supply, but not including a pole on which the luminaire may be mounted.
Outdoor Lighting –The night-time illumination of an outside area or object by a single luminaire or a group of luminaires located outdoors.
Reflector, Reflector Diffuser, Refractor or Diffuser Lens – Device that alters the direction of and controls the distribution of light rays.
Shielded – A luminaire employing a protective device to prevent glare. The luminaire shall have a generally downward distribution of light and must have a top shield to minimize upward light.
6. Exterior Lighting Plan
The site lighting plan required under Section I-I, 4 shall be certified to be valid and correct by a certified lighting professional and shall also include the following information:
(a) The location, height, shielding type of all existing and proposed recreational fields’ luminaires, and the wattage rating and type of all lamps in each luminaire.
(b) The manufacturer’s specification data and technical drawings including the luminaire lamp wattage; photometric data showing that the luminaire is fully shielded, including an electronic copy of the IES photometric file, or a reference to the file location on the manufacturer’s web site. Manufacturer’s photometric specification that the luminaire is rated IESNA Full Cutoff (FCO) is sufficient to show that it is fully shielded.
(c) The data of previous sections (a) and (b) shall be organized into a table, with one line per luminaire.
(d) A light illumination test, conducted by a certified lighting professional, to demonstrate the pre-development condition. The lighting levels shall be calculated with a light meter positioned at the boundaries of the lot on which the light poles are proposed, at such locations as are needed to adequately determine the level of existing light trespass onto or from adjacent streets and abutting lots.
(e) A photometric plan of the proposed recreational fields luminaires, showing the intensity of illumination expressed in foot candles at ground level within the interior of the lot and at the boundaries of the lot on which the light poles are proposed, at such locations as are needed to adequately determine the level of additional light trespass onto adjacent streets and abutting lots over existing conditions. The plan shall also include the following illumination information in a table format: Minimum; Maximum; Average; Average to Minimum and Maximum to Minimum.
7. Lighting and Light Pole Standards
The following lighting and light pole standards shall also apply:
(a) The illumination of outdoor recreational fields shall be by fully-shielded luminaires, aimed toward the playing fields, and shielded in directions away from the playing surface so as to minimize glare, lighting and light trespass onto adjacent areas. Light poles for recreational fields shall only be as high as necessary to meet the requirements of the activities contemplated on the recreation facility, but shall not exceed a maximum height of 80 feet. Minimum front, rear or side yard setbacks must be provided which comply with the underlying zoning district setbacks.
(b) Illuminance Values. All lighting installations shall be designed to meet the maintained illuminance values as recommended by the IESNA for the level of activity contemplated at the recreational fields. The lighting levels for the recreational fields for competitive play shall be maintained at no more than 50 foot candles, average, with a 2.5:1.0 maximum to minimum uniformity ratio. Approved lighting shall include dual lighting circuits to each pole to allow adjustment of field lighting levels to 30 foot candles, average, with a 3.0:1.0 maximum to minimum uniformity ratio for practice or non-competitive play.
(c) Off-Site Light Trespass: The off-site light trespass as measured at any residentially zoned property line shall not exceed a maintained level of 0.1 foot candle and shall be at a level of 0.0 foot candles at a distance 25 feet beyond a residential property line. The off-site light trespass as measured at any non-residentially zoned property line shall not exceed a maintained level of 1.5 foot candles at the property line and shall be at a level of 0.0 foot candles at a distance 75 feet beyond a property line. In all cases the intent will be to minimize footcandles beyond existing property lines to the fullest extent possible. The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to property lines internal to the overlay district.
(d) Additional shields that are installed to control light trespass and glare as required herein shall be designed so that the parts of the shields that are exposed to the direct light of the luminaire and visible from streets, or abutting lots that are in residential use, shall have a matte black low reflectivity finish.
(e) Strobe and flashing lights and laser illumination are prohibited.
(f) Placement of pennants, streamers, banners, signs, advertising flags or similar items on light poles is prohibited.
(g) Placement of speakers, sound systems or similar devices on light poles is prohibited.
(h) Light poles shall be located at least 300’ from any existing dwelling unit..
(i) Hours of Operation: The hours of operation of the recreational fields luminaires shall by determined by the Board of Appeals, provided, however, that recreational fields luminaires shall be turned off by the earlier of (1) one-half hour after completion of scheduled activities on the playing fields and (2) 9:00 pm on weekdays (Su-Th) and by 10:00 pm on weekends (F-Sa).
(j) After the installation of the lights, a post-development light illumination test shall be conducted at the property lines and shall demonstrate that there has been no undue light trespass at property lines, before the lights can be operated.
(k) The certified lighting professional shall submit an as-built plan that correctly reflects the as-built installation, and shall certify that the as-built installation conforms to the requirements of this By-Law and the Special Permit.
8. Special Permit Approval Criteria
In reviewing a special permit application under this Section, the Board of Appeals shall make findings regarding the following additional factors:
(a) The benefits, if any, that the additional hours of recreational fields operation will provide to the Town;
(b) The impacts, if any, on the abutting lots of the installation of recreational fields luminaires and the resulting extended operational hours; and
(c) The degree to which the proposal and the conditions required by the Planning Board in its site plan review decision, if any, mitigate such impacts.”
Old New Business
Minutes
The Board voted to approve Minutes of March 22.
Derby Street Shoppes
Ms. Kennedy is seeking input on the steps needed to allow for information skating and possibly fishing activities in the pond area located on the east side of Derby Street Shoppes near the employee parking lot. These uses would be free of charge, and would only take place during non-peak seasons. Board members instructed her that such a change would represent the introduction of a new use, and would thus require a modification to the Special Permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:45 PM
Respectfully Submitted,
Katharine T. Lacy, Town Planner