Small Cities Corner
Keeping it Big and Bright in
Dripping Springs, Texas
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he stars at night are big and bright…deep
in the heart of Texas! We all know the song
well. For the City of Dripping Springs, these
words are a point of pride. Dripping Springs
values its scenic beauty and rural charm, and
regulates outdoor lighting within city limits to protect the
dark night sky. The city was recently acknowledged for its
efforts when it became the first community in Texas, and
sixth in the world, to receive the International Dark Sky
Association’s (IDA) Dark Sky Community award.
Cindy Luongo Cassidy, an IDA member and city lighting
consultant for Dripping Springs, and Michelle Fischer, city
administrator, worked on this initiative. TML asked Cindy
and Michelle to share their experience, the application
process, and what it’s like living in a Dark Sky Community.
What was involved in preparing the Dark Sky
Community application?
Cindy: I have been the city’s lighting consultant for about
eight years, as well as a member of the International Dark
Sky Association, so I was aware of the Dark Sky Community
award. The city’s first lighting ordinance started in 2000. I
realized we were doing things in Dripping Springs that
positioned us for the award designation. As I completed
inspections, I documented the information needed to
complete the application. This requires several years of
collecting information, such as night sky readings and
details about building projects. In 2011, the city revised the
lighting ordinance in a way that met requirements outlined
in the application. Once the new ordinance was in place,
and building projects completed, the city was in a position
to apply for the recognition.
In June 2013, I met with the city council to solicit their
views on the application. Our city council was excited
about it, and wanted to move forward. That is when I
started pulling together the needed information. I sought
advice from IDA on how to present the information to
ensure we were on the right path. The IDA will sometimes
work with city officials for years to help them prepare
for the application process. Our application was ready by
September 2013! A large portion of the work involved
getting letters of support from businesses, individuals, and
organizations in the community. Overall, the application
process took roughly 300 hours.
How did you communicate this initiative to citizens,
new residents, and businesses?
Cindy: Our community always had a connection with the
night sky, and wanted to protect it. The staff used a lot of
the information from the application to build the website.
Michelle: We didn’t focus on the ordinance alone — we
wanted the information to be educational as well. On
the website, we included links to other publications,
information and articles on lighting, examples of good and
bad lighting, as well as pictures from around the city.
When we revised the ordinance in 2011, we had a
tremendous amount of public support. Citizens participated
in public hearings, and sent letters of support. There was
probably more widespread support for this ordinance than
for any other I’ve seen in the time I’ve worked for the city.
So when we applied for the designation, it was easy to get
letters of support. Some of the committee members that
worked on improving the ordinance were the same people
that submitted letters of support for the application.
On August 15th,
Come to the One Day Conference
BETTERforLIGHTS
BETTER NIGHTS
Excessive outdoor lighting and light
trespass are in the forefront of
light pollution issues that
communities face.
PROFESSIONALS, EXHIBITORS, AND EDUCATORS WILL COVER
Detailed Education for Outdoor Lighting Challenges
·
·
·
·
Energy Costs and Economic Impact
Safety and Security
Light Trespass and Loss of the Night Sky
Health & Ecological Issues
Texas Laws and Establishing an Ordinance
Enforcement, Implementation and Inspection
tiion
Approaches for Unincorporated Areas
LEARN MORE AND REGISTER
www.TexasNightSkyFestival.org
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With regards to new development compliance,
was the ordinance met with any resistance?
Cindy: The typical human reaction is to do things the
allows a maximum lumens output per acre. Landscape
lighting also has to comply. If we catch anything, we help
bring it up to compliance.
way they’ve always been done. But as soon as residents and
businesses were educated about the ordinance and saw the
different types of lighting proposed, they realized that both
electrical costs and glare would be reduced. Reducing glare
actually increases your ability to see around the building
– meaning an increase in actual safety instead of just the
feeling of safety. People often think “the more lights the
better,” but that’s not necessarily true.
And it’s not just new development that the ordinance
addresses. If someone has a non-conforming light and
wants to obtain a permit to do something new to their
business or residential property, they are required to bring
all of their existing exterior lighting into compliance.
For example, the local H-E-B service station had to set up
their lighting very differently from what was done in the
past. Yet, as of a few months ago, our local H-E-B service
station was the highest grossing station in the company.
Michelle: Education was the greatest challenge. However,
Michelle: It’s been interesting getting the gas stations to
comply. The new Valero was initially resistant since they
typically light up their whole canopy, as well as the exterior
and interior. In the city limits of Dripping Springs, they
couldn’t do any of that. As a result, their new gas station
is beautiful. Compare theirs to the gas station across the
street that is outside of the city limits, and the difference
is amazing. People see the huge contrast, and realize how
great the ordinance is.
Cindy: Generally, when you can see the source of a glaring
light, it reduces your ability to see things on the road. But if
the light source is shielded so all you see is the illumination,
your eyes adjust more easily. An added bonus to this kind of
lighting is the ability to see the night sky.
Michelle: That’s a common reaction of a new business
coming into the city. The business is typically worried
about the compliance cost, and believes that less lighting
means it is less safe. It’s the opposite. Businesses actually
save money with these lighting fixtures, and the fixtures
improve visibility.
What’s the process for enforcing the ordinance
and making sure people are complying?
Michelle: We’ve never had to take anyone to municipal
court for non-compliance. Most of the time, we catch any
issues when building plans are turned in during the design
stage. That’s when we see what light fixtures will be used.
The businesses also have to fill out a lumen calculations
sheet to calculate the output of their fixtures. The city
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Q 1 < 3@ What has been the greatest challenge in creating
and sustaining a Dark Sky Community?
once we were able to educate the community, it became
clear that being a Dark Sky Community was in the best
interest of the city and its residents. Another challenge
has been athletic field lighting because it needs to be
grandfathered. This is a long term goal, but it is also a huge
challenge getting non-conforming athletic fields to comply.
Some of them are city owned lights, and we have a plan to
work on all of those. Some are youth sports associations
or privately owned, and most are with the school districts.
The school districts have their own state-mandated lighting
regulations. We can’t force them to comply with the city’s
lighting ordinance.
Another challenge is that cities cannot regulate lighting
in their extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). We have always
asked for voluntary compliance, and have had a lot of
success with this. There is a form we provide that explains
the lighting ordinance, and requests voluntary compliance.
But we can’t require it on projects in the ETJ. It would
be great if there was legislation that would allow cities to
enforce their lighting ordinance in the ETJ. In some cases,
we have required compliance with the ordinance through
numerous development agreements, and as a condition of
variance requests.
What advice do you have for other cities seeking
a darker sky?
Cindy: Education is essential. Once you get people
educated, they become advocates. On August 15, we are
hosting a conference to discuss the talking points and types
of lighting. Anyone who is interested – elected officials,
staff, and citizens – can attend the event to learn the talking
points and the advantages of doing lighting this way –
reduced glare and light trespass, lower energy costs, positive
economic impact, reduced light clutter, and promoting
tourism. My advice is to gather the information you need
to talk to people about the benefits, so you can answer
questions from the community.
Are there any other major projects that the city is
currently undertaking?
Michelle: There’s a lot going on! We just completed Phase
1 of The Mercer Street Improvement Project. Mercer Street
is our historic district, and is on the National Register of
Historic Places. Before the project, the street didn’t have
any sidewalks or pedestrian lighting. Phase 1 completion
included sidewalks, a pedestrian bridge, traffic controls,
parking, benches, and beautiful pedestrian lighting that
complies with the ordinance. We hope to make downtown
a destination for residents where they can feel safe, enjoy
the new businesses that have opened, as well as the new
sidewalks, benches, and lighting.
The City has also been awarded a grant from the National
Parks Service (NPS) Rivers, Trails, and Conservation
Assistance program. The NPS is facilitating our trail
advisory committee to expand our trail system throughout
the ETJ, and connecting to other trails, parks, and
attractions in the area. It’s about the quality of life for the
people of Dripping Springs so they can walk around and
enjoy the city without having to get in their car.
What are your long-term goals for the city?
Cindy: We would love to get grants or funding to help
bring the grandfathered lights into compliance. We would
like to get to the point where the city can provide funding
assistance with some of those grants to property owners and
business.
What do the citizens of Dripping Springs want
from local government, and have their wants
changed over the years?
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Michelle: I don’t think this has really changed over the
years. Most people want to preserve the city’s hill country
character and manage growth in a responsible manner that
minimizes the impact of growth to our residents. That’s
been pretty consistent. People come to Dripping Springs
because of the quality of life. They want to be in the hill
country, they like the atmosphere, and the rural and small
town feel. The dark skies definitely contribute to that. They
want the city to preserve it and keep it that way. +
700 Jeffrey Way, Suite 100
Round Rock,Texas 78665
800-369-9000 Fax 512-323-3210
Contact
Steve Whigham, Director of Collections
[email protected]
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