Butte County Code Review
Butte County Code
Review of Butte County Code in regards to outdoor lighting.
Based on the code as of the August 19, 2008 code update.
For more recent provisions, please contact the county.
Ref. http://municipalcodes.lexisnexis.com/codes/butteco/

15-113 Adult business permits required; application.
(b)... The application shall include the following information:
(7) A sketch or diagram of the off-street parking areas, driveways, street access and ingress/egress, and building ingress/egress of the adult business and also showing the location of the lighting system required by this article.


15-120 Business development and performance standards.
The following applicable requirements shall be deemed conditions of all adult business permits issued pursuant to this article or Ordinance No. 3445 or any extension thereof, and failure to comply with any such requirement shall be grounds for denial, suspension or revocation of the permit.
(c) All off-street parking areas and premise entries of the adult business shall be illuminated from dusk to closing hours of operation with a lighting system that provides an average maintained horizontal illumination of one (1) foot candle of light on the parking surface and/or walkways. The required lighting level is established in order to provide sufficient illumination of the parking areas and walkways serving the adult business for the personal safety of patrons and employees and to reduce the incidence of vandalism and criminal conduct.


Chapter 20 SUBDIVISIONS*
Article VI. Design Standards

20-152 Street lighting.
(1) A street lighting system shall be furnished in place by the subdivider along all interior and boundary streets within all subdivisions in accordance with the standards set forth in the improvement standards of the county, except that only electrical outlets for lighting would be required where not detrimental to health and safety.
(3) For single-family residential subdivisions having an average lot street frontage of more than one hundred twenty-five (125) feet, but not more than two hundred (200) feet, the street lighting system need not be placed along the streets, but shall, as a minimum, be placed at all street intersections, culs-de-sac and at other locations as required by the director of public works.
(4) For planned developments, residential, commercial or industrial developments where the internal streets are not offered for dedication, a street lighting system need not be installed on the internal nondedicated streets, but shall be provided by the developer on the external public street frontage.


24-200 A-Z (Airport) Zone.
(e) Development standards. ...
(2) Lighting. The design and location of exterior lighting should be required to comply in all respects to standards established by the Federal Aviation Administration, or the California Department of Transportation, Division of Aeronautics, with respect to height, type, and placement of lighting standards on the airport.


24-205 MHP (Mobile Home Park) Zone.
(2) Mobile home park streets. ...
d. The mobile home park streets shall have adequate lighting.


24-210 PUD (Planned Unit Development) Zone.
(3) Copies, as specified in the rezone application, of a preliminary development plan ...
f. Locations of landscaping, parking areas, fire hydrants, street lighting, ...


24-140 C-1 (Light Commercial) Zone.
(iii) Monument signs are allowable up to eight (8) feet tall, thirty-two (32) square feet of sign face, and with internal or exterior lighting.


24-145 C-2 (General Commercial) Zone.
(iii) Monument signs are allowable up to eight (8) feet tall, thirty-two (32) square feet of sign face, and with internal or exterior lighting.


24-150 C-C (Community Commercial) Zone.
(e) Site development standards.  ...
(9) Outdoor lighting required: All lighting, exterior and interior, shall be designed and located so as to confine direct lighting to the premises. A light source shall not shine upon or illuminate directly on any surface other than the area required to be lighted. No lighting shall be of the type or in a location such that it constitutes a hazard to vehicular traffic, either on private property or on abutting streets.


24-160 N-C (Neighborhood Commercial) Zone.
(f) Site development standards. ...
(9) Outdoor lighting required: All lighting, exterior and interior, shall be designed and located so as to confine direct lighting to the premises. A light source shall not shine upon or illuminate directly on any surface other than the area required to be lighted. No lighting shall be of the type or in a location such that it constitutes a hazard to vehicular traffic, either on private property or on abutting streets.


24-167 Research and business park (RBP) zone.
(j) Design guidelines. ...
(5) Lighting. All exterior lighting fixtures shall be shielded and oriented downward to minimize light spillage and glare beyond the research and business park.


24-236 C/M (Chapman/Mulberry combining) zone.
(3) Commercial & industrial land uses:
a. Outdoor lighting fixtures for commercial and industrial uses shall be oriented or otherwise shielded so that the source of light and light reflectors are not visible from nearby residential properties.


24-237 Recreational overlay zone.
(d) Site development standards. ...
(1) Outdoor lighting shall be shielded so that direct illumination does not leave the property or cause interference with neighboring uses or adjacent roadways.

24-240.10 Off-street parking; development standards.
The following development standards shall apply ...
(c) Lighting. Any lighting used to illuminate off-street parking areas shall be directed and maintained so as not to interfere with persons using any public street or improvement or to unnecessarily interfere with the use and enjoyment of property of any person.


24-262 Wireless communication facilities.
(h) Agricultural Zones Standards.
(3) In Agricultural Zones (A-5 through A-10) all lighting on a facility, including identification or warning lights required by the FAA or other public agency, shall be oriented/shielded so as not to directly illuminate any area on the ground within a radius of five hundred (500) feet of the tower or monopole horizontally beyond the facility site, providing that such orientation/shielding complies with FAA requirements or other federal or state agency requirements.


(i) Residential Zones Standards.
(1) In Residential Zones (AR through AR-10, A-SR, FR-1 through FRA 0, M-R, R-l through R-4, R-N, RT- 1 through RT-1A, SR through SR-5, R-P) or in Special Zones (MHP, S-H, U, A-Z) all lighting on a facility, including identification or warning lights required by the FAA or other public agency, shall be oriented so as to not to directly illuminate any area on the ground within a radius of five hundred (500) feet of the tower or monopole horizontally beyond the facility site, providing that such orientation/shielding complies with FAA or other federal or state agency requirements.

24-264 Large retail projects.
B. Definitions.
3. Light Source: a complete lighting unit consisting of a lamp and all necessary mechanical, electrical and decorative parts, such as reflectors (mirrored enclosures surrounding the lamp), refractors (glass or plastic enclosures surrounding the lamp) and lenses, designed to direct light rays.
4. Outdoor Light Fixtures: all outdoor illuminating devices, reflective surfaces, lamps and other devices, either permanently installed or portable, which are used for illumination or advertisement. Such devices shall include, but are not limited to, search, spot and floodlights for:
a. Buildings and structures;
b. Recreational areas;
c. Parking lot lighting;
d. Landscape lighting;
e. Billboards and other signs;
f. Street lighting;
g. Product display lighting;
h. Building overhangs and open canopies.