Arlington Hts. night sky may get darker.(News)

An ordinance regulating artificial light to promote "dark skies" has been proposed by Arlington Heights environmental control commission.
The ordinance is being discussed by village staff, and it is not known when it will be presented to the village board, officials said.
The idea behind the Dark Skies movement is to limit the light reflected into the skies and reduce energy costs, said David Templer, chairman of the commission, which drafted a proposal that the village staff is now reviewing.
Some people also think excessive light can be harmful to wildlife, he said.
As proposed, the ordinance would affect outdoor light emanating from residences, commercial and public land.
The environmental control commission was approached by the International Dark-Sky Association, which is talking to towns nationwide.
While Arlington Heights, as part of a metropolitan area, cannot create "dark skies" on its own, it is one of the larger municipalities in the region, and others might follow the example, Templer said.
Glenview has had an outdoor lighting ordinance since 2003 and is in the process of updating it to make it easier to understand, said Jill Ziegler, village planner.
Ziegler said the ordinance hasnt been controversial, and Glenview residents do not employ much lighting.
A proposed ordinance in Barrington Hills, however, has created a lot of controversy and has not yet been resolved.
People who oppose lighting restrictions worry about an increase in crime, and also object to losing control over their own property.
Templer agrees that people have a right to do what they want with their land unless it affects other peoples rights.
Arlington Heights already outlaws nuisance lighting something so bright it keeps neighbors awake.
"We dont want to over-regulate everyone," he said. "We want them to voluntarily do things like reduce carbon usage and have responsible lighting in place."
Existing light fixtures would be grandfathered so owners would not have to replace them immediately, he said.
* "Uplighting" would be permitted only for landscaping, flags or ground signs.
* Flags lighted at a 45 degree angle would be limited to 1,100 lumens, which is comparable to a 50-watt, low-voltage halogen landscape bulb.
* Motion-detecting security lights could stay lit five minutes or less and would be limited to about 100 watts.
* A light 5 feet above the ground at the property line could not exceed one-tenth of a foot candle, comparable to a full moon.
* Temporary lighting, like for Christmas, Halloween or festivals, would be allowed.
* Prohibited lights, generally associated with businesses, include ones that flicker, rotate, strobe, flash or scroll. Searchlights are also prohibited, as are neon lights outlining a building.
Streetlights and stoplights are already shielded so they point down rather than up, said Templer.