Monday July 27th, 2009
City Hall @ 7 p.m.
AgendaCity Hall @ 7 p.m.
- RESOLUTION for Sustainability Commission refocus.
- RESOLUTION to approve traffic calming on Village Creek Drive.
- Contract amendments for Calvin, Giordano & Associates.
- Contract amendments for Clark Patterson Lee.
- ACTION ITEM: Addition of calendar dates for Municipal Court.
- RESOLUTION to appoint an Assistant City Clerk.
- RESOLUTION amending the City Council Rules and Procedures regarding criteria for Public Comment.
- Ordinance to amend §4-22: Lighting. A text amendment to add the Outdoor Lighting Efficiency.
- Ordinance to amend Chapter 27 (Zoning Ordinance) to add the New Zoning Districts – G-C (Government Community) District and the G-U (Government Utility) District.
5 comments:
Regarding the Proposed Outdoor Lighting Efficiency ordinance:
Based on the introduction I see the City wants to "work toward reducing environmental footprint of the government". Have we established what our current 'footprint' is so we will know when we have been successful?
In the ordinance, Section 1 does not define 'holiday' and 'temporary'. Since 'temporary holiday' lighting is exempt from requirements perhaps the City will decide what is a holiday and what is temporary.
Also, why ban low pressure sodium lights? LPS lighting is one of the most energy efficient light sources available and the wavelength of the LPS does not attract bugs. I'd like to know why LPS lighting is banned.
I also disagree with the section that states someone making a small modification should have to submit a complete inventory of their existing and proposed outdoor lighting.
I'll try to write more on this before Monday. Although my trained specialties are chemiluminescence, radioluminescence, and photoluminescence, I know a little about other lighting.
Is there a reason the City wants to permit outdoor advertising on the newly created G-C districts? (amending Chap 27) We just went through an ordeal with a billboard company and we seek to ban many types of commercial lighting (like neon) so why write in permission to advertise at our parks and utilities and gov't buildings?
I am surprised to see the wording of the memo re: the lighting ordinance. Although the Sustainability Commission, along with City Staff, conducted research as indicated, we had concerns with some of the specificity of the ordinance as written and recommended the ordinance be tabled until 2010 since we voted to focus on government-oriented measures (and several others that were well underway, such as Safe Routes to School) in 2009. I would like the record to clearly reflect our position on this issue rather than appear as if we are in support of this ordinance at this time.
John,
Can you ask if property owned by DeKalb School System will be included in the G-C districts?
Hmmm...
We'll leave it to DeKalb County School Watch to discuss what it says about the authors and their audience when they feel compelled to explain that "45 degrees above straight down" means half-way between vertical and horizontal.
Let's get to the fun stuff.
Arch Accent: "Lighting fixtures shall not generate glare, or direct light beyond the façade onto neighboring property, streets or into the night sky".
This will be a never ending supply of political fireworks when it is pointed out that those McMansions on ChamDun are in violation and the builder, who is certain to be Dunwoody shaker/mover, should be fined and denied a CO.
Even better it appears my neighbors' are either grandfathered or in violation. I walk my dog around 5AM every morning, do I call 911 or is there a special night-light enforcement division within the PD? I'd ask the star gazers I meet, but they are about as plentiful as the Police pulling over a speeder at Redfield--nada.
And I wonder just how far out of spec the Farmhouse is? You know, the symbol of Dunwoody.
Why don't we quit making laws that pander to every trendy special interest and just declare some arbitrary week "Starry Nights Week In Dunwoody" -- First Baptist Bank of Dunwoody to provide fireworks. OK. It can't be totally arbitrary because we can't let it intrude on "Lemonade Days".
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