Okay. >> So, there's no proponents, no opponents. They said it's going to zoning and Kelly >> for us to make a recommendation. Yeah. It >> was brief. >> Super brief. Yeah. wasn't
something. I think you you got to press your Did you press? >> I did. >> Oh, here we go. >> It's all you. >> Okay. Welcome to the May 19, 2026 meeting of the planning board.
>> Okay. First order of business will take roll call. Uh, Mr. Abrams >> present. >> Mr. Castanza >> pres Miss Hoffman >> present. >> Mr. Rivera >> present. >> Uh, Miss Simmons Hurling >> here. >> And Mr. Statopoulos
>> present. >> President. The first item on the agenda is a public hearing uh with respect to amendment establishing regulations of outdoor lighting. So let's open the public hearing for this
first. Are there any proponents here to speak to this tonight? >> So um basically the audit sets regulations that um gauges the output of lighting in
lumens and um they they established limitations on lumens which is the measurement of brightness. um for residential properties that can't exceed 1500 lumens. 1500 lumens is like a 100
watt light bulb. So any outdoor lighting that you have, landscape lighting, uh uh up lighting for landscaping or trees can't exceed 1500 lumens. I guess there's been complaints because some of these outdoor lighting devices and
motion detectors are very bright and maybe up to 5,000 lumens which is like you know workshop lighting or garage lighting and our homes are so close together here in Rivier you know a cat walks by or
somebody walks by and they go on and just bright right through your window. So, uh, it was it's time to establish regulations that kind of control these the brightness of some of these motion detectors and outdoor lighting. So 1 1500 is applied to residential
properties and commercial properties, non-residential is 5,000 lumens, which is basically seen in um garages and workshops and uh some backyard driveway flood
lights of that degree of uh brightness. So um I guess the bu the building department will have to measure lumens. They'll probably be working with an instrument. If people get is a complaint, they'll have to go out there and measure them and bring the uh the
property into compliance and issue them, you know, a notice of violation of the new ordinance. And that's basically what it is. And it's uh it's going to be um administered by the the building commission on the building department inspectional
services. >> So there are fines to this coming. >> There are fines. Yes. >> Yeah. Will the building commission right here authorized? >> Yes. >> Hi. Hello. So, we just asked a question
about are there going to be fines or ordinances or tickets or warnings? How is this going to happen? Yeah, they're subject to pen penalties of $300 a violation and they have 14 days to correct it.
So, and each day that a violation exists shall be deemed a separate offense. So, after the 14 days, you can get multiple violations. So, that $300 a day will can add up on somebody's property bill. So, are they going to have somebody that is
going to be out during the night measuring light? Well, they'll most likely will be responding to complaints. You know, somebody issues a complaint, then they'll go out and and measure.
Um, I don't know. I haven't talked to the building commissioner how frequently they're going to enforce this and but I I suspect that as an ordinance it's it's under their responsibility to take any
kind of measurements possible turning the fines and they'll have to obviously go out at night and make their measurements. They'll be given a lum an instrument that measures the brightness in lumens. How many complaint >> how many complaints is is justifying
something like this? And then you know if you're in construction, which we have a lot of construction on it, I believe it's an ordinance from the state that if you have a building that is under construction, you have to leave lights on. I imagine there's enough complaints that
the city council uh put this forward as an ordinance. Um so >> Frank, is is this mainly in residential areas or >> Yes. >> I'm talking about the complaints. >> Yes. All residential properties that above commercial properties that have
lighting above 5,000 lumens coming from the commercial properties. If it's more than 5,000 then >> basically this will apply after the ordinance are passed. Yes. >> Is that correct? >> Yes. >> So what happens with somebody that already have lives that they are no um
>> is it retroactive? >> Um I don't I don't believe they'd be grandfathered in. It's once this ordinance pass it's you know I don't think lighting can be grandfathered. You'd have to make the adjustment in the amount of lumens that you generate.
So there is a CR. Did you want to say something? >> Please go first. I I do have comments when you're ready. >> There is a number of items here that they're talking about. Some somebody forecasted this. I This is from the city council. Is this from a commission? Is
this >> This came from the city council. I imagine there was a uh a similar ordinance from another community that they used as an example as a model and they put it forward before the the council as a whole. So
they have sign lighting. So does that happen along Squire Road down the beach? Are we going to tell the new Colon he can't have a he's going to have to go turn his light on unlike what he does in >> S have you know >> Huh? uh neon lights or building lights
or no even not no digital lighting is allowed in the city. >> Holiday lighting, outdoor lighting, underwater lighting that this should be interesting. Well, how did this come about? >> I don't think this is made up well to tell you the truth. Temporary lighting for theatrical television performances.
>> I I know a lot of people that they watch television outside now. They they have a a flat screen TV. If you go down the beach, you go on top of the the uh the rooftops, it's television and lighting up there. >> SuffK Downs, uh you you're going to tell
the con the contractor there that he can't he can't abide by the the state fire marshall and he's going to shut all the lights down when he's building. This thing is not followed through. >> All good points. >> If I if I can chime in as well, I think
it's um we talked about light. It starts one of the bullets. Can we kill you? >> Yeah. One of the bullets says um lighting owned by the city of I say a couple things. You know, if you go up on Oxford Street at midnight, the lights there have never been dimmed. You could play baseball outside, right? I could wash my car at midnight and be just
fine. Um it it also states um athletic fields. Listen, we have great fields that get usage. I want them lit up. Um not only when they're playing. Uh I'll bring up something I brought up before. We've had we had an officer killed on a field uh 20 years ago. Um, I want the policemen to light that field up at
night for security and for safety not only of our of our of our athletes, but also of our officers. Um, I think it, yeah, I don't think this is really well thought out. Um, I think the other challenge is um, one, we've got city lights are an issue. We've got a digital sign on the side of the rec center that
is, you know, incredibly bright that um, it's needed. It allow it announces events to the city, but it's a city sign. Um, for personal stuff, I think we find ourselves in a situation when someone has it and it's their car gets broken into a driveway, something gets stolen, next thing you know they they
lit up the place like Fenway Park because they're afraid. Um, and for us to go in tell people now you've got to dim those lights when they put them up because they felt they weren't protected. We're going to run into a situation um, you know, I mean, it's it's very broad here. It's uplighting of statues. you know, I'm not going to tell
the not that's my authority to enforce, but if someone's grandmother's lighting up their bathtub Mary in the front yard, you know, who are we to tell her to turn it down? Um, so yeah, I think and underwater lighting, if somebody needs to light their pool up to feel safe there's not a kid floating, um, you know, I think there's a lot of safety
issues here that we run into. So I think we've got to, uh, have this revisited to make some specifics. Yeah, it is pretty broad and um it really should be more concentrated on the issues of you know residential
lighting, you know. >> Yeah, my my colleague together. >> Pretty good point. One of the one of the first things is St. Anony's St. Anony's is lit up. Uh you have the the outside landscaping, the statues, they're all lit up. You do
want the parks lit up. I like it when the basketball court next to the Revier police station is lit up and then they're out there using it. Um I don't think this is well thought out at all. I It's not made for Revier. um maybe they want to do it in certain sections and
try it out, but I I think there's a lot of problems enforcing this. And then and then uh the one thing the I don't know if you some of these communities they have leaf blower laws and the complaints
that they have with the leaf blowers and if uh and it's the people that don't live in these some of these upscale communities and people can't wait for a leaf blower to go on so that they can call up and complain about the noise
about a leaf blower. And now they have uh leaf blower ordinance people that go out on Saturdays and Sundays when most of the lawns and and some of these other communities are maintaining their lawn and whatever it is and and they're
writing the landscape of people up and there's and they're generating a lot of fines for this. I I have uh motion lights and uh mostly because when I'm in the backyard coming up and walking the driveway, I don't want to walk over a
possum, a skunk, or some other animal. So, I have it lit up. >> Yeah. >> So, well, to Mr. Samopoulos point, um there is certain lighting that is exempt. Doesn't this doesn't apply to fields? >> I think it says it does.
>> No, no. This chapter was app outdoor lighting fixings except for the following >> lighting within rights away easements and >> for the principal purpose of illuminating streets, alleys, midblock passages, civic spaces, athletic fields or any lighting owned or operated by the
city is exempt from this ordinance. >> Yeah, I say it it's poorly written. I mean, because it says here that holiday lighting is exempt, right? And I think we called it out as an example earlier if that was there. And uh so yeah, if this is all exempt, I'll apologize publicly. Then maybe I misread this,
>> but um it is it is incredibly broad. So >> I I think it needs >> lighting for public monuments exempt. Holiday lighting exempt. Uh alto lighting for emergency equipment exempt. Underwater lighting is exempt.
Temporary lighting for theatrical television. These these are all not applicable. that I'm making a big deal out of something that was mis m >> misunderstood when you read it. >> Yeah. >> Frank, are there hours per se like hours in specific in which these lights must be
>> No hours? I I don't believe just u nighttime. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> So, what happens to some of our neighbors that have holiday lighting all year long? Well, well, some holiday lighting may
not exceed 1500 lumens. I mean, 1500 lumens. Yeah. Well, I it's there are exceptions in some cases. There are people that go a little overboard. But listen, if it becomes a new a lighting nuisance to a neighbor, a
neighbor has a legitimate complaint that it's impeding their, you know, their general welfare and capacity to sleep or whatever, then, you know, they have a right to have that regulated. And I think these are reasonable. 1500
lumens is reasonable. 5,000 for commercial buildings. Are there any proponents here to speak on this tonight? Any others? Are there any opponents here to speak?
>> Seeing hearing none. Shall we close that part of the hearing then? All questions been answered. Do you want to move on to the regular meeting? >> Are there more questions? >> No. Clearly, I was all worked up over
something that wasn't correct. So, >> okay, we'll go to the regular meeting. This comes down now to the approval of previous meeting minutes. Everybody had has a copy of the previous meeting minutes. We have a motion to approve.
Motion Second. >> So vote is so audited. Previous meeting minutes are approved. The second item on the regular meeting is
planning board's recommendation to the city council with the respect to this proposed ordinance amendment establishing regulations for outdoor lighting. Um recommendation to approve. recommendation disapprove, recommendation to approve with modifications.
Um, that's before the board now. So, if anybody has any recommendations, uh, now's the time we put it in writing to the city council.
Well, I I probably would like different recommendations, but I I'd like some more facts on why this is coming up, what area is this affecting, where they grab this, and how this is going to be the same representative
wherever they grab the this ordinance from another city or town to imply it here in Re. But unless you want to table it to the next meeting to come up with recommendation, the planning board has
to issue recommendation within 21 days of the public hearing. The city council has a right to vote without any recommendation. So >> I then I'm just going to um >> Are there suggestions you'd like to make
for it? >> So Frank, just a question. Is this going to be treated case by case or how how is this going to work? Are they going to go check every single house or they going to wait until somebody complains or >> I think it'll be based on uh on the
amount of complaints in in response to each individual complaint through the inspectional service office. >> Okay. to your knowledge to your >> I can't imagine I mean unless somebody issues a complaint it has to be really uh very intrusive the lighting for
someone to issue a complaint on their personal property >> to your knowledge. Do you know if this happened in other municipalities? >> They I think they said in the meeting last night that there was 66 other communities in the state that have adopted it. >> Okay, there you go.
So I guess it's a common problem in in cities more so than towns where where the density is uh similar to rever. >> It's funny because the the lights especially the city lights and the park lights make me feel more safe.
>> Yeah. >> That's why they were not included in this. It doesn't apply to those lights. Um, one area where I think there's still I think it's still vague is um, in regards to commercial um, businesses obviously they have bright signs, they
have bright lighting. Um, we do have restaurants with outdoor seating now. Um, are we going to now impact their ability to illuminate their, you know, their service area. Um, I don't know if this is restricted to just residential or Broadway and the business districts are, you know, um, >> yeah,
>> not not held to the same thing. I I think >> yeah I think there needs to be just more clarity around um location hours um you know who is who's impacted a line between commercial residential mixuse I think that's a good way to start if
you want to put a recommendation in such business areas such as example rea beach u squire road donley square >> a lot of our commercial areas of mixed use. Uh Squire Road's an exception. Uh
Lee Burbank Highway, American Legion Highway, some some locations and Squire Road. Broadway obviously is mix resident general business district includes residential properties and mixeduse buildings. Um
>> so then >> so it's worth giving it some thought, but um I think with with commercial signage lighting, there should be the whole separate audience regarding signage, which we do
have. >> And >> there is. >> Yeah. >> Well, while we're out there doing the luminous of lighting, maybe somebody can count the number of signs people have also. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. You're not allowed more than two signs. >> Yeah.
>> For a building. It's this is a hornets's nest. It's going to bloom and it's going to expand and it's going to be it's it's a spite neighbor thing. I I just want to I until they have more recommendations on here
and they divide this up. I I'm going to uh do I'm going to propose a motion now. But >> you want to propose a motion to deny it or >> to deny it. pending further. >> Do we have a second to that? >> I will second that.
>> So motion by Mr. Abrams, second by Mrs. Stamatopoulos to unfavorably re recommend the ordinance as written. We'll take a roll call vote on that. Uh Mr. Abrams. >> Yes.
>> Yes. to unfavorably make a recommendation unfavorably accepting it. Mr. Castanza, >> yes. >> Yes. Miss Hoffman. >> Yes. >> Yes. Mr. Rivera. >> Yes. >> Yes. Miss Simmons Hurling.
>> Yes. >> Yes. Mr. Samopoulos. >> Yes. >> Yes. Okay. So ordered the pling boards will make unfavorable recommendation on the illumination ordinance as is written to the city council.
Frank, do you want to note as well, right, that we're recommending to be able to to put some limitations around it as far as residential and commercial? >> Yeah, that's why the way this is going to be framed is as written and needs further
>> work basically before the planning board would uh >> review it again favorably. >> Okay. >> All right. Thank you. I just want to make sure it was clear. Yeah, I I think there's no other further business and that's it. So, uh we can call
adjournment of the meeting. >> Motion to adjourn. >> Yes. >> Meeting adjourned. Meeting adjourned. >> Thank you.