HomeMy WebLinkAboutSubmittal-Diana Umpierre-Letter of OppositionINTERNATIONAL
DARK -SKY
ASSOCIATION
June 25, 2015
INTERNATIONAL DARK -SKY ASSOCIATION l✓'-!
FLORIDA CHAPTER 2 N�
defending Ronda 's nciiural night sky' environment
1\Lv name is Diana Umpierre. I am also a certified planner, a geographer, an environmental scientist, a resident of South
Florida and a volunteer Board Member with the International Dark-Skv Association that for over 25 yrs has been
addressing the need to protect the night environment. IDA accomplishes this by working closely with officials. planners,
architects and others to ensure public policies incorporate environmentally -responsible lighting best practices.
I'm here to implore you to repeal damaging zoning that affects the people that live, work and visit Miami, that
encourage energy waste and that endanger wildlife, such as the many species that migrate by air and sea along this
coastal corridor.
If today you choose to ignore this, then 1 implore you to fix your zoning to provide protections that are truly
measurable, enforceable and consistent with better practices. Your zoning code provides NO protection.
• It allows cumulative environmental effects to compound by only limiting light trespass relative to ambient levels.
That means that as ambient light goes up, which it is,you allow increased brightness of these LED displays.
• Also, your foot candle allowances are far too bright in comparison to better ordinances in other parts of the US.
To address this:
• Define different allowable brightness levels for day and night (in nits, the correct measure for LED displays).
For instance; in Pittsburgh, day max is 2,500 nits and at night it is 10 times less.
• Define curfews, such as times of the night to turn off the displays and during bird/ sea turtle migratory seasons (to
reduce skv glow and wildlife attraction to urban landscape, such as birds colliding with buildings).
Even New York City is starting to do this.
• Increase the dwell time when images do not change: 6 seconds is too dangerously distracting to most people.
In Pittsburgh, the dwell time is 30 seconds.
• Create an outdoor lighting advisory board to examine what else needs improvement.
The people and visitors of Miami do NOT want brightly illuminated commercials over the beloved Miami skyline.
But, if you choose to ignore this, then spend time fixing your code before issuing bad permits. I'm leaving examples of
codes that are better than yours at mitigating environmental impacts and reducing light trespass, glare and skv glow.
TODAY, PLEASE DO WHAT IS RIGHT, not just what's legal.
Thank You....
Diana Umpierre, AICP, GISP
Secretary/ Board Director
International Dark-Skv Association
Florida Chapter, Chair
TierraCielo: nrocketmai 1. com
(954) 829-7632
How are artificial lights from our cities affecting nocturnal ecology in our national parks in Florida?
Check out NPS" Night Sky Monitoring Database at http:::. www.nature.nps.gov%night'skyr ap.cfm
What are we trying to protect in South Florida? Views like these: https: lic.kr z: fr1'Y >
7'o help us preserve and protect the natural night sky environment, visit Www.darksk-v.org
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Submitted into the public
record for item(s) Z. III' PZ. I'1
on-ob • c.1,o t.S . City Cler
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Examples of Better Dijzital LED Sign/ Visual Display Ordinances in the USA
Submitted into the public
record for item(s) P t. I (p , Pt, l7
on y i 1 5\1 5- City Clerk
City of Pittsburg, PA
https://www.municode.com/library/paipittsburgh/codes/code_of ordinances?nodeld=PIZOCOJITNINEZOC
0 ARTVIDEST CH919S1
Arlington County, VA, see page 49
http://building.arlingtonva.us/wp-content/uploads/20 I 2/04/ACZOSection34. pdf
Montgomery County, PA
http://www.montcopa.org/DocumentCenter/View/7070
Cochise County, AZ
https://www.cochise.az.gov/sites/default/fileplanning_and_zoningMASTERFINALZONINGREGULATION
S 120214. pdf
Digital Billboard Luminance Recommendations: How Bright Is Bright Enough
By Christian B. Luginbuhl, U.S. Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station, et.al.
November 2009
http://www. flagstaffdarkskies. org/WPdev/wp-content/uploads/2013/ 03/Digital-Billboard-Luminance-
Recomm endation-ver-4. pdf