“New lighting regulations are now in effect. Existing lighting must comply to the new rules within three years. Here’s a look at the new lighting requirements.* Lighting fixtures must be shielded, hooded and oriented towards the ground so that direct rays of the lighting source are not visible past the property boundaries and do not shine into the night sky. Use of motion-sensing devises is encouraged.* No lighting shall blink, flash or be of unusually high intensity or brightness* All lighting fixtures shall be appropriate in scale, intensity and height.* New or replacement lighting of county roads shall be shielded and pointed downward.* Seasonal decorative lighting exempt.* Temporary, emergency lighting exempt.* Public athletic fields, fairgrounds and approved temporary special events exempt.* Fixtures 60 watts or less exempt.* Exemptions also include lighting fixtures utilizing only fossil fuels, including luminaria and incandescent lighting fixtures installed on residential structures. Fixtures that light parking areas, driveways, sports areas or outbuildings are not exempt.* Externally lit signs shall be illuminated only with steady, stationary, shielded light sources directed solely downward onto the sign without causing glare. Light bulbs or lighting tubes used for illuminating a sign shall not be visible from adjacent public right-of-ways or residential properties.* The intensity of sign lighting shall not exceed that necessary to illuminate and make a sign legible. The illumination of a sign shall not be obtrusive to the surrounding area. * Internally illuminated signs are prohibited.* A sign may be illuminated during the hours of operation of the facility being identified or advertised or until 11 p.m., whichever is later. Such signs shall provide an automatic timer to comply with the intent of this section.Sign rules in place nowNew rules on signs are also in place. Here’s a brief glance at some of the main points.* Only one sign located on the premises, not exceeding nine square feet in area per side. Larger signs may be considered if architecturally integrated into and attached to the building. No sign may exceed eight feet in height.* A sign, including its supporting structure and components, shall be compatible in design to the building it’s attached to or to surrounding structures as determined by the planning director.* Sign colors shall be architecturally compatible and be of sufficient contrast to be legible, but subdued enough to blend with the natural landscape and/or surrounding structures. The majority of the background area of a sign, exclusive of any letters, words or symbols, shall be of earth or dark color or made of materials such as rock, natural wood, old wood, tile, brick, etc. Bright or fluorescent colors and reflective surfaces in the background area of the sign are prohibited. * All light fixtures, conduit and shielding shall be painted to match either the building or the supporting structure that serves as the background of the sign.* No more than one freestanding identification sign may be located on the main entrance to a complex or project and monument-style signs are preferred over pole-mounted signs. Freestanding signs up to eighteen feet in height and monument signs up to ten feet in height may be permitted. * Flashing signs, moving light signs and off-premise signs are prohibited, except for time-temperature-date signs.* Attached Signs shall not exceed by more than four feet the height of the building or structure to which they are attached* Total signage shall not exceed one-hundred square feet in area per business and of that amount, freestanding signs shall not exceed forty square feet in area per side.* Signs in windows such as logos, Open, Beer, etc., do not count toward the allowed sign area.”