After a public hearing that drew an unusual number of comments, the Winthrop Planning Commission has forwarded proposed changes in the town’s outdoor lighting regulations to the Town Council.
The Planning Commission’s recommendations were developed in response to efforts by the Methow Dark Sky Coalition, a local nonprofit organization, to make the town part of a valley-wide “dark sky community” devoted to reducing light pollution.
The revised regulations, which would particularly affect the downtown area, are intended to reduce “light trespass” and promote public safety. There would be a five-year timeline for compliance.
The Dark Sky Coalition has conducted research on how dark skies communities have been established in other parts of the country. The group began making presentations to the Planning Commission and Town Council in 2019, with the hope that Winthrop would move toward adopting some of the ideas.
Earlier this year, the Planning Commission submitted some preliminary ideas for reducing light pollution to the council for review. At the time, the suggestions were described as “incremental” as opposed to more-comprehensive measures the Dark Sky Coalition supported.
Town Planner Rocklynn Culp said the commission was concerned that the town’s residents and business people would balk at adopting all of the coalition’s recommendations immediately. The Planning Commission subsequently fine-tuned its proposals and conducted a public hearing on May 11.
Seven people testified at that hearing (which was conducted on the Zoom platform), including Kyrie Jardin, representing the Dark Sky Coalition. The comments were generally supportive, with some suggestions for more aggressive light-reduction efforts, a better definition of “light trespass,” and more specificity about enforcement and how it would be carried out.
The proposals would apply to all public and private outdoor lighting, but not to interior lighting. The regulations would require full-cutoff fixtures that aim light downwards, and the use of warm-spectrum lighting.
Exemptions would include existing streetlights until they are replaced; emergency lighting; outdoor lighting for temporary events; lighting for public recreation or athletic facilities such as the Winthrop Rink during operating hours; and lighting that illuminates the American flag. The proposal also specifies which types of lighting fixtures would be acceptable, and which would not.
At last week’s council meeting, Jardin thanked the town for its efforts and said the Dark Sky Coalition “got mostly what we asked for.”
Culp said the Town Council may choose to hold another public hearing, or simply adopt the ordinance.
The council took no action last week, but council member Ben Nelson suggested that the proposed fine for violations be reduced from $500 to $250 before final adoption.
The town’s comprehensive plan, adopted in 2015, provides that “Winthrop will encourage a nighttime environment that includes the ability to view the stars against a dak sky, use of energy-efficient lights, appropriate levels of outdoor lighting for specific areas and uses, and use of shielding techniques that direct light downward.”
