County to hold public hearing on outdoor lighting rule changes

As part of its commitment to enhancing dark skies in the community, the Deschutes County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on Thursday, July 10, to consider proposed amendments to county outdoor lighting regulations.

The Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners have expressed support for amending the county outdoor lighting ordinance. After receiving feedback from two panels convened on the topic, Community Development staff have proposed changes to the ordinance that address public concerns about light pollution.

The proposed amendments include:

• Simplifying the code to support responsible lighting practices
• Updating terminology to better reflect current lighting fixtures
• Utilizing the guiding principles of Dark Sky International, which offer best practices for responsible lighting
• Clarifying types of facilities and lighting fixtures that are exempt

The public is invited to attend a public hearing during the Planning Commission’s regularly scheduled meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 10, in the Barnes Sawyer Room of the Deschutes County Services Building, located at 1300 NW Wall Street in Bend. Community members can provide feedback in person or virtually. The meeting agenda and virtual log in information can be found at www.deschutes.org/meetings.

You can find more information about the proposed lighting control amendments at this link.

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Media contact:

Tanya Saltzman, Senior Planner

(541) 388-6528