Loading...
Entity Staff Report - 8/24/2021CITY COUNCIL OF SALT LAKE CITY 451 SOUTH STATE STREET, ROOM 304 P.O. BOX 145476, SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH 84114-5476 SLCCOUNCIL.COM TEL 801-535-7600 FAX 801-535-7651 COUNCIL STAFF REPORT CITY COUNCIL of SALT LAKE CITY TO:City Council Members FROM:Sam Owen, Policy Analyst DATE:August 17, 2021 RE:2020 Salt Lake City Street Lighting Master Plan NEW INFORMATION Pursuant to city resolution and state code, the City Council asked the Administration to present the Street Lighting Master Plan proposal to the City Planning Commission. The April 14, 2021 City Planning Commission forwarded the following along with a positive recommendation (i.e. a recommendation that the City adopt the plan & its accompanying documents): the Commissioner recommended that the Council “further explore the warmness of the light and the kelvin temperatures and further understand that fully.” (Attachment 3) It’s the understanding of Council staff that the Department of Public Utilities is confident in the plan’s current recommendations and resources in the context of color temperature. The following reconstruction of feedback and new information might be helpful and draws from a technical memo (Attachment 2) prepared by the department & its consultant on the topic of light temperature and impacts to the following categories of organic life. The Department has communicated that the plan in its current state has adequate and appropriate control measures to mitigate impacts to humans and wildlife, such as its neighborhood-level evaluation and engagement recommendations for the process of developing lighting solutions for unique geographic areas throughout the city. -Birds: o “There is no evidence that color temperature is a driving force in attraction and mortality of migratory birds.” (Attachment 2, page 11, last paragraph). -Insects: o “One group where color is relatively more important is insects, which are, in general, more attracted to blue, violet, and ultraviolet than yellows and reds. There are exceptions to this pattern, but studies of insect attraction to different color temperatures of LED find that lower color temperatures attract fewer insects. This relationship has been quantified and can be used to compare attraction of specific options for street lighting [citation omitted for clarity]. For nearly all [insect] organisms investigated, lower color temperatures are assessed to have reduce impacts.” (Attachment 2, page 11, last full paragraph) Item Schedule: Briefing: August 17, 2021 Public Hearing: TBD Potential Action: TBD Page | 2 -Human beings: o “Scientists who are skeptical about the potential for outdoor to affect human health point to the intensity thresholds for melatonin suppression. Based on models of human physiology, they demonstrate that melatonin suppression is likely to be very small or not measurable below approximately 5 [lux] [this is a technical measurement for one dimension of lighting intensity]. Since outdoor lighting rarely reaches these levels within dwellings, the impact is presumed to be minimal, regardless of color temperature. This argument, however, does not extend to exposures outdoors at night and illumination under street lighting often exceeds 5 lux. A precautionary approach to color temperature for human circadian health relative to outdoor lighting would be to favor the use of lower color temperature lighting… which then would be balanced against other guideposts.” (Attachment 2, page 11, first paragraph, emphasis added) Finally, dark skies interests have been referenced or represented as compelling for inclusion and serious consideration in the plan. The Department’s technical memo provides the following advice for technical implementation sensitive to dark skies interests: “The take-home message of this research for the Salt Lake City street lighting master plan is that for LED lamps lights to reduce light pollution compared with the previously common HPS lamps, they must be 0% uplight [sic], 50% less bright, and with a [color temperature] of no greater than 3000 K.” (Attachment 2, page 12, last paragraph) In other words, for dark skies interests & for purposes of reducing impacts to organic life, the Department has represented that the plan allows for flexible and responsive implementation of lighting strategies to address a range of concerns, such as those listed as examples above. In the future, the Council might consider the following elements in the context of a potential motion considering adoption of the plan: -The Council could include legislative intent language that the “dark skies” mitigation criteria for “minimum impact on light pollution” be followed uniformly & that the department provide annual or bi-annual reports on locations where that guidance has been superseded by other constraints in the course of lighting implementation. -The Council could ask the Department to consider where impacts to wildlife can be reduced or eliminated, and provide a report on proactive lighting implementation that takes this value into account as the plan moves ahead. -The Council might ask the Department or Administration to consider options for evaluating impacts to insect communities as a result of City street lighting changes. -The Council might ask the Department to consider whether and where there are situations where residents or groups of residents could regularly experience lighting intensity from public fixtures at a level that would disrupt melatonin regulation. Attachments 1. Transmittal 2. Department correlation report 3. April 14, 2021 Planning Commission minutes Page | 3 PREVIOUS INFORMATION FROM THE FEBRUARY 2021 BRIEFING ISSUE AT-A-GLANCE The Council will receive a briefing on the proposed Street Lighting master plan. The new plan synthesizes community feedback and technical advice into a document by which the department proposes to guide street lighting improvement and maintenance throughout the city. The plan seeks to create accommodation for different lighting needs and desires throughout the city. Adoption of the street lighting master plan does not have a budget impact for this fiscal year; however it is likely that deliberation on and adoption of the plan would pave the way for a new capital improvement program and financial strategy for the Street Lighting enterprise fund. These subsequent phases would have budgetary impacts for the enterprise fund, as well as potential impacts to ratepayers. ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND From the transmittal: “The most recent street lighting plan was completed in 2006. In 2013, the management of the streetlight system was transferred from the Transportation Division to the Department of Public Utilities. This transfer included changing the funding source for the operation, maintenance and capital improvements of the system from the General Fund and Special Assessment Areas [SAA] to a newly created street lighting enterprise fund.” The city provides different tiers of lighting service through the Street Lighting enterprise fund that the current system inherited from the previous SAA structure; for example, enhanced lighting areas in Rose Park, Yalecrest, and in the downtown area are assessed different rates for corresponding lighting service that varies from the basic streetlighting in most of the city. Additionally, the department maintains a private lighting program that receives a $20,000 annual grant from the general fund. This funding allows property owners to obtain matching funds from the city for private light installation in the public right-of-way. Maintenance of those private lights is the responsibility of the property owner, although the department facilitates access to a lighting contractor to support that. From the transmittal: “During the first few years of conversion to the new LED fixtures mainly within industrial, commercial and higher density residential areas, Public Utilities received more positive feedback than negative. When installation [of new LED lights] began in the residential neighborhoods, there were more complaints. Residents were not pleased with the brightness of the lights as well as the white light emitted. The City is also proactively working on various streets projects, community improvement projects, pedestrian and bicycle friendly projects, and issues related to crime. Street lighting has a role to play in all of these endeavors.” To this end, the plan also contemplates its intersections with other adopted city planning documents. (transmittal page 39 et seq., plan page 19 et seq.) The department conducted extensive outreach through community and technical advisor groups. A more detailed report on the outreach is located in the transmittal on pages three and four. Furthermore, Council Members met in small groups with the administration to discuss the plan over the summer of 2020. ATTACHMENTS 1. Administration transmittal Page | 4 POLICY QUESTIONS 1. Council Members often receive persistent and sometimes conflicting requests from community members and community groups for lighting. a. The Council might be interested in hearing from the administration about how requests from community members and community groups would be vetted so that lighting implementation takes place with inclusive engagement. b. Council Members might wish to know how the administration proposes resolving conflicting lighting requests; e.g. would those be resolved by taking polls of property owners; what other methods would be available to determine how to move forward when requests are conflicting for one area. 2. Council Members have adopted the expectation through resolution that master plans go through a vetting process that includes review by the city’s Planning Commission. The Street Lighting master plan has been in progress since before that resolution was officially adopted in 2020. The Council has adopted other planning documents since the resolution adoption that have not been reviewed by the Planning Commission. a. Council Members might wish to request feedback from the administration on the potential value of the Planning Commission reviewing the lighting plan before its potential adoption. 3. The Council might wish for more specific figures related to the anticipated annual budget impact when it comes to ongoing, regular implementation of the guidance in the plan. a. Additionally, when it comes to annual budget deliberations for the Street Lighting enterprise fund, the Council might request a more extensive oversight and guidance role when it comes to capital planning and appropriations for each coming year, not unlike the general fund capital improvement program process. b. An opportunity to review this enterprise fund budget in greater depth each year and throughout the interim could give the Council greater opportunity to review the capital planning and budget proposals for equity considerations. c. Because the technical and service requirements of the Street Lighting fund are different from the other Public Utilities enterprise funds, additional budget oversight and engagement could be more appropriate when it comes to the improvements and expansions of the city’s lighting system on the basis of the proposed plan. 4. Community members have inquired about the creation of enhanced lighting areas through the general fund capital improvement program (CIP). Council Members might ask for feedback from the department about the feasibility of creating these enhanced lighting areas through general fund CIP, and then transferring the asset to the enterprise fund for maintenance and cost recovery through increased lighting fees. APPENDIX A The master plan proposes the following policy statements (transmittal page 18; plan page 10): Based on the application of planning guideposts and input of the steering and technical committees, the master plan implements the following major policies: • Street lighting will enhance safety through the implementation of industry recognized standards. Page | 5 • Street lighting standards include allowances to encourage dimming strategies relating to pedestrian activity, wildlife and dark skies lighting. • Street lighting will minimize the obtrusive effects of light at night resulting from light trespass, light pollution, and glare through the selection and placement of appropriate poles, fixtures, light type, and light levels. • Provide pedestrian lighting in accordance with neighborhood plans and in accordance with the typologies in this plan. • Provide street and pedestrian lighting that minimizes impacts to sensitive wildlife species. • Select fixture types to provide dark skies protection. • Implementation based on neighborhood and community input to determine pole, fixture type, maximum and minimum light level, and the implementation of adaptive dimming applications when appropriate. The plan also enumerates a number of implementation priorities and steps; “proposed for highest priority are neighborhoods current underserved for street and/or pedestrian lighting based on adjacent land uses.” (plan page 11) Furthermore, “high conflict areas” such as neighborhood byways and transit stations are proposed to be highest priority. High conflict refers to the potential for an area to have a diversity of uses and needs. The plan offers a helpful side-by-side table showing how the policy proposals have been revised from their 2006 predecessors. (transmittal pages 34-35, plan pages 14-15) APPENDIX B The plan proposes the following process for implementation (transmittal page 19, plan page 11). This process, all four steps, would take place systematically based on recommendations and classifications made in the plan. STEP ONE: • Identify high conflict areas in the City • Review the current lighting map to identify underserved neighborhoods and high conflict areas • Respond to request from community or neighborhood for lighting change STEP TWO: Page | 6 • Contact community and neighborhood representatives to identify priorities and review options according to the matrix •Identify neighborhood-preferred option according to the matrix STEP THREE: • Estimate cost of preferred option • Seek funding approval STEP FOUR: • Design, schedule and implement preferred option APPENDIX C Page | 7 Page | 8 APPENDIX D Salt Lake City Street Lighting Master Plan Process & Issues Related to Correlated Color Temperatures (CCT) 06/16/2021 The topic of Correlated Color Temperature (CCT), which describes the perceived color of a light source, related to street lighting has become quite controversial with the transition from predominantly high pressure sodium (HPS) street lights with an amber color temperature (2200K CCT) to light emitting diode (LED) street lights, which are can vary in color temp, typically from warm white (2700K) to cool/bluish white (5000K). Recommendation: With a complexity of various research and opinions related to the CCT of street lighting, we recommend that Salt Lake City perform a few pilot installations that demonstrate and compare different CCTs in a few areas throughout the city, such as Single-Family Residential, Multi-Family Residential, Commercial, and Downtown. These demonstrations will allow Salt Lake City to engage the public and stakeholder groups in the final selection of CCT that is preferred and appropriate for each area. This process should include some educational outreach to inform the public about the various issues related to CCT as described in this memo and gather data on the preferences of the public and stakeholder groups. What is Correlated Color Temperature (CCT)? Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) is a measure of light source color appearance as compared to an ideal blackbody radiator that is heated to a specific temperature, measured in degrees Kelvin (K). This is similar to the variation of color seen in flames of a fire or gas stove. The higher temperature flame is perceived as blue and lower temperature flame is perceived as yellow to orange. How CCT is Addressed in the SLC Street Lighting Master Plan The CCT of street lighting affects a few different areas of human experience and environmental impacts, including: Brightness Perception, Nighttime Visibility, Color Identification, Aesthetic Character, Personal and Cultural Preference, Human Health, Dark Skies and Behavior of Wildlife and Insects. This article from Pew Charitable Trusts, “Citing Health Concerns, Some Cities Consider Dimmer LED Streetlights” provides an overview of some of the controversial topics. The Salt Lake City Street Lighting Master Plan has considered all of these perspectives by implementing a thorough Engagement Process, evaluating current research, and providing flexibility of on-going community engagement to determine the final CCT to be used in each neighborhood or Council District. This Engagement Process helped to develop the Guideposts for this Street Lighting Master Plan, which are: Safety, Character, Responsibility and Equity. All of the decisions and guidance within this Plan have been considered and balanced in relationship to these Guideposts. Considering the Guidepost of Responsibility, the Street Lighting Master Plan has followed the advice from the American Medical Association (AMA) and International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) for a maximum of 3000K CCT in Commercial, Retail, Civic and Downtown areas. This Master Plan goes further, by limiting the CCT in Residential areas to 2700K maximum, and near environmentally sensitive areas to 2200K maximum. By stating “maximum” CCT levels, and providing a path for on-going community engagement, this plan allows the flexibility for each community to determine if they would prefer lower CCTs than these maximums. The topic of CCT related to visibility and health are currently very active areas of research, with varying conclusions which are sometimes contradictory. In general, the current body of research, and understanding of human preferences indicates the following trends, which have been categorized according to the Street Lighting Master Plan Guideposts: • Safety – Brightness Perception: Higher CCT’s tend to appear brighter at night, even at lower measured light levels. This is related to a shift in spectral sensitivity toward blue light in lower light levels experienced at night under street lighting. While this can have a positive effect on visibility, it can also have a negative effect of increased glare if not properly controlled. Early LED streetlight conversions using cool/bluish white (5000K) LEDs installations received significantly negative public reaction. • Safety – Nighttime Visibility: Higher CCT’s may improve visibility at night, however, some studies are contradictory. Some street lighting visibility studies show that higher CCT’s result in improved visual detection distance1. Other studies show lower CCT’s with improved detection distance, however, the lower CCT may result in fatigue and reduced detection distance over longer periods of time2. • Safety – Color Identification: Color Rendering is more important than CCT for color identification. This topic of color identification was noted as a high priority for the Police Department. Prior to LED, lower CCT light sources like high pressure sodium (HPS) (2200K) and low pressure sodium (LPS) (1800K) also had very low color rendering index (CRI), making it more difficult to accurately identify colors of objects seen under these light sources. Newer LEDs that use a phosphor-corrected amber (PC Amber) to achieve lower CCTs (1800K – 2200K) can have improved CRI that is closer to higher CCT light sources. The PC Amber light source does not yet have wide-spread use in street lighting, and has not been included in many street lighting research studies. The proposed pilot studies are an excellent opportunity for Salt Lake City to evaluate PC Amber LED against standard white-light LEDs that are based on phosphor-corrected blue LEDs. • Character – Aesthetics, Personal & Cultural Preference: CCT can evoke a wide variety of emotions or perceptions, which can vary from person to person. The very warm amber light from streetlights with lower CCT’s (1800K – 2200K) associated with the legacy light sources of LPS and HPS may be perceived as “outdated” by some, while others perceive this color as “warm” and “inviting. Higher CCT’s (4000K +) are often perceived as “institutional” or “sterile”, while some may perceive this as “contemporary”, “clean” and “crisp”. The proposed pilot studies would allow citizens and stakeholders to express their subjective opinions and allow the City to make a data-driven decision for what is appropriate in different areas. 1800K 2200K 2700K 3000K 3500K 4000K Warmer --- Cooler Private/Intimate --- Public Residential/Hospitality --- Commercial/Institutional Historic --- Contemporary Fuzzy/Dingy --- Crisp/Clean Comfortable --- Glary • Responsibility – Human Health: Exposure to too much light at night, especially higher CCT light with more blue content, can disrupt healthy sleeping cycles, or circadian rhythms, in humans. Light in the blue spectrum suppresses melatonin, which is needed during the day for people to wake up and be alert. Exposure to blue spectrum light at night also suppresses or delays melatonin production, resulting in sleep disruption, which can lead to increased long-term risk of some types of cancer, including breast cancer and prostate cancer. While higher CCT lighting does play a significant role in melatonin suppression, it is also important to control light levels, reduce glare, and avoid light trespass from street lighting. Total exposure to light at night, or dosage of light, is needed to understand the full impact of street lighting as compared to other light exposure from interior lighting, computer screens, TVs and light trespass from private property. • Responsibility – Dark Skies: Higher CCT light sources with more blue spectrum light contribute more to sky glow than lower CCT light sources. The molecular composition of the Earth’s atmosphere refracts, or scatters, blue spectrum light, which is why our sky looks blue. Controlling light that is distributed directly upward into the sky is critical to reducing light pollution. This Street Lighting Master Plan includes recommendations to reduce light pollution from all decorative lights, including Downtown and Sugarhouse historic lights and neighborhood pedestrian lighting, such as Rose Park. This Plan also reduces blue spectrum content, changing from 4000K CCT to 3000K, 2700K and 2200K CCTs, depending on adjacent land use. • Responsibility – Behavior of Wildlife and Insects: In general, higher CCT light sources with more blue spectrum light result in more negative effects on wildlife and insects. All full spectrum white lights (2700 K and up) are considerably more biologically active than existing HPS lights and new PC Amber LED lights. Using fully-shielded, low glare lights is also an important factor in reducing impacts to wildlife and the ecosystem. Limiting light trespass into open space areas and critical wildlife habitats, and providing adaptive dimming schedules are also included in this Street Lighting Master Plan. • Equity – What is the Right Thing for each Neighborhood?: Engaging each community in the final decision for the type of lighting and CCT is an important part of an equitable solution. This process should include some education on the topics included in this memo and others related to street lighting, as well as some survey and pilot demonstration to gather data on the opinions of the residents and business owners in the area. While some areas may want more light and higher CCT for safety concerns, this should be balanced with a responsible approach that incorporates all the issues of human and environmental health, especially in residential areas. More Background Information 1. Engagement Process The Salt Lake City Street Lighting Masterplan was developed from a multi-level approach with a diverse set of stakeholders and community members including: • An Advisory Committee which met six times and included representatives from each City Council District, Department of Public Utilities, and the Mayor’s Office. The Advisory Committee provided guidance on policy issues and visioning. This group participated in site tours and surveys, visioning sessions and progress updates along the way. • A Technical Committee with City representatives from Police, Fire, Sustainability, Engineering, Planning and Urban Forestry. The Technical Committee represented the interests of their departments and contributed to the vision and guiding principles. This group participated in a site tour to inform their feedback throughout the process. The material and ideas produced from both groups was them reviewed by a community stakeholder group with representation from Education, Business, Transit/Multi-modal transportation, and Environmental organizations. The final draft plan includes input from both committees and feedback received during stakeholder review. Once the draft document was complete, it received initial review from the City Council and Planning Commission with a final recommendation to the City Council for adoption. 2. Guideposts: Safety, Character, Responsibility, Equity a. Safety i. Brightness Perception The human eye contains two types of light activated cells in the retina, cones and rods. Cone cells require a higher light level to be activated, and are responsible for color perception, experienced during the day and under interior light levels. The rod cells are activated under lower light level conditions typically experienced at night, and provide only gray-scale visual perception. The cones are more sensitive to the yellow end of the spectrum and rods are more sensitive to the blue end of the spectrum. All lighting metrics, even for street lighting use the daytime visual sensitivity curve, yet LED light sources with more blue spectrum content, or higher CCT, appear brighter under lower light levels than lower CCT light sources. This effect is known as the Purkinje Shift. This explains why people often perceive LED street lights as “brighter” and “more glary”. ii. Nighttime Visibility Research There are multiple studies by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) that study how different street lighting characteristics affect visibility. These studies measure visual detection distance of objects under different light levels and CCT’s. Some studies show that higher CCT’s, particularly 4000K – 4100K resulted in increased visual detection distance, even at 25% of the light level of HPS lights at 2100K1. Yet, the results are not consistent when comparing CCT and detection distance across multiple studies, and a more recent study showed that HPS at 2100K resulted in increased visual detection distance than 4000K LED 2. Figure summarizing studies on detection distance under different roadway lighting in Anchorage, San Jose, San Diego, and Seattle. Figure showing comparison of CCT and different light levels on Detection Distance over multiple laps driving around a test roadway at Virginia Tech Transportation Institute2. iii. Color Identification Accurate color identification of objects depends on the spectrum of the light source illuminating the object. This is measured as Color Rendering Index (CRI), which ranges from 0 – 100, using a broad spectrum light incandescent source as the reference. The image below shows a red car parked in front of a convenience store with two different light sources illuminating the car. The parking lot has low pressure sodium lights (CRI - 0) that have a very narrow, amber color spectrum, which distorts the red color of the car. The front of the car, near the fluorescent light (CRI - 70) emanating from the convenience store has a broader spectrum of light, which more accurately renders the red color. LED light sources commonly used for street lighting with CCT of 2700K – 5000K typically have a CRI of 70 – 80. The most common legacy light source for street lighting was high pressure sodium (HPS) with a CCT of 2200K had a CRI of 20 – 35. The image below shows a side-by-side comparison of these light sources (LED on the left, and HPS on the right) and their resulting ability to render colors in the field of vision. Newer PC Amber LED light sources provide 2200K and lower CCT with CRI’s ranging from 35 - 68. The higher range of this CRI is comparable to the lower range of CCT for LEDs with higher 2700K - 5000K. While most major street lighting manufacturers do not currently offer PC Amber as a standard option, most manufacturers will consider providing PC Amber as a special modification. 3. Character a. Perception of Character and Aesthetics Color temperature of lighting affects many different aspects of human experience. Color temperature is perceived as cooler (blue) to neutral (white) to warmer (yellow to orange), which is inverse to the temperature measurement of the ideal black body radiator (or flame temperature). Higher color temperatures are described as “cooler” and lower color temperatures are described as “warmer”. Color temperature can also evoke certain emotions or perceptions such as: 1800K 2200K 2700K 3000K 3500K 4000K Warmer --- Cooler Private/Intimate --- Public Residential/Hospitality --- Commercial/Institutional Historic --- Contemporary Fuzzy/Dingy --- Crisp/Clean Comfortable --- Glary Figure 1. Example of PC Amber used in an environmentally sensitive area. https://adlt.com.au/wp- content/uploads/2014/02/IMG_7110-620x413.jpg References 1800K 2200K 2700K 3000K 3500K 4000K 5000K 6000K In Nature Campfire Sunrise/Sunset Moon Daylight Color Description Orange Amber Warm White Warm White Neutral White Cool White Cool Blue Legacy Light Sources Low Pressure Sodium (LPS) High Pressure Sodium (HPS)Incandescent Halogen Neutral White Fluorescent Cool White Fluorescent Daylight Fluorescent (Limited Use) Interior Lighting Limited Use Dimmed Hospitality Residential / Hospitality Residential / Hospitality Office Office / Healthcare Office / Healthcare (Limited Use) Exterior Lighting Near Astronomic Observatories Street Lighting before LED Higher End Pedestian Lighting Early LED Street Lighting Installations Figure 2. Example of 2200 K LED used for environmental and aesthetic sensitivity. https://www.atpiluminacion.com/files/actualidad/201223_Yamaguchi/atp-iluminacion-yamaguchi-2@2x.png Figure 3. Example of 2700 K LEDs in the field. Figure 4. Example of 3000 K LEDs in the field. https://www.clantonassociates.com/our-projects/16th-street-mall Responsibility (Longcore) b. CCT / Spectrum & Human Health Human circadian rhythms can be influenced by exposure to light at night. The mechanism is presumed to be the suppression of melatonin production. Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that is produced by humans and most organisms during darkness and it plays central roles in regulating human daily rhythms across all aspects of human physiology. It is also “oncostatic”, meaning that it keeps cancer tumors from growing. Because exposure to too much light at night suppresses melatonin, unnatural light exposure has been identified as a risk factor for certain cancers, including breast and prostate cancer. Suppression of melatonin varies depending on the wavelengths of light, with a peak sensitivity in the light blue. Daylight, with a color temperature of 6500 K, is very effective at suppressing melatonin production (Figure 5). Figure 5. Spectral power of daylight (colors) with the overlap with human melatonin suppression sensitivity (lighter colors). Melatonin sensitivity curve is in the background in gray. Upper left: Daylight (D65), Upper right: 4200 K LED, Lower left: 2200 K LED, Lower right: 1900K High Pressure Sodium. Source: fluxometer.com The relative power of lights to suppress melatonin can be calculated, and it decreases with color temperature for standard light sources (Figure 3). Few studies connect color temperature with health outcomes in the epidemiological literature, perhaps because the technology to do such studies is only recently becoming available. A study of breast and prostate cancer in Spain published in 2018 provides initial information, which is consistent with greater effects being associated with higher color temperatures. In this study, greater blue light outdoors at residences of cancer patients compared with those of controls was associated with a 47% increased risk of breast cancer and a doubling in prostate cancer risk3. In contrast, outdoor lighting alone (of all colors) was not associated with increased risk. The study also accounted for light experienced in the sleeping environment, with a significantly greater risk of prostate cancer for those sleeping in a “quite illuminated” bedroom, but no statistically significant result for breast cancer3. Figure 3. Relative sensitivity of human circadian system, as measured by melatonin suppression, for typical LED light sources and High Pressure Sodium, compared with an equal brightness of daylight. Scientists who are skeptical about the potential for outdoor to affect human health point to the intensity thresholds for melatonin suppression. Based on models of human physiology, they demonstrate that melatonin suppression is likely to be very small or not measurable below approximately 5 lux4. Since outdoor lighting rarely reaches these levels within dwellings, the impact is presumed to be minimal, regardless of color temperature. This argument, however, does not extend to exposures outdoors at night and illumination under street lighting often exceeds 5 lux. A precautionary approach to color temperature for human circadian health relative to outdoor lighting would be to favor the use of lower color temperature lighting (Figure 3), which then would be balanced against other guideposts. c. CCT / Spectrum & Critical Wildlife Habitat i. Tracy Aviary Color temperature is one factor that influences the degree to which light at night affects wildlife. Depending on the group of organisms, color may be able to reduce or increase effects a little or a lot. One group where color is relatively more important is insects, which are, in general, more attracted to blue, violet, and ultraviolet than yellows and reds. There are exceptions to this pattern, but studies of insect attraction to different color temperatures of LED find that lower color temperatures attract fewer insects. This relationship has been quantified and can be used to compare attraction of specific options for street lighting (Figure 4). For nearly all organisms investigated, lower color temperatures are assessed to have reduce impacts. The difference between 2700 K and 3000 K tends to be small, and all full spectrum white lights (2700 K and up) are considerably more biologically active than existing HPS lights. There is no evidence that color temperature is a driving force in attraction and mortality of migratory birds, however. Light visible from above affects the distribution of migratory birds 5, 6, but the satellite used for these studies does not distinguish between colors of light and in fact does not measure blue and violet light at all. The recommended approach to reduce impacts on migratory birds from roadway lighting is to fully shield lights to eliminate upward glare and to only use the amount of light necessary so that the reflected light is kept to a minimum. Current efforts to reduce bird mortality in Salt Lake City by the Tracy Aviary focus on voluntary efforts by building owners to shut off interior lights during migration. The amount of lighted window area on buildings correlates with bird collisions 7. The project team discussed these issues with Ms. Cooper Farr of the Tracy Aviary during the development of the Master Plan. Figure 4. Relative attractiveness of different LEDs and High Pressure Sodium to insects, as quantified Longcore et al.8 from an insect attraction curve developed by Donners et al.9 d. CCT / Spectrum & Dark Skies We followed the work of the Department of Energy with respect to the effect of different color temperatures on light pollution for astronomical observation 10. The DOE study modeled the effects of different combinations of spectrum, uplight, and intensity under different weather conditions, human vision adaptation levels, and distance from the lights. These results compare high-pressure sodium as the baseline, with PC Amber LED (1872 K), and 2700–6100 K LEDs. When compared on an equal basis for other factors (same uplight and intensity), only the PC Amber produced roughly equivalent light pollution compared with HPS and all full-spectrum LEDs produced significantly more light pollution, especially when considering human night vision. This difference is shown for a range of LEDs and HPS using the “starlight index”11 (Figure 5). When both HPS and LEDs were assumed to have 0% uplight and the LEDs were set at half the intensity of the LEDs, then LEDs with CCT < 3000 K were comparable to or produced less light pollution than HPS. Results were similar with HPS at 2% uplight and LEDs at 0% uplight and 50% intensity. The take-home message of this research for the Salt Lake City street lighting master plan is that for LED lamps lights to reduce light pollution compared with the previously common HPS lamps, they must be 0% uplight, 50% less bright, and with a CCT of no greater than 3000 K. The minimum impact on light pollution could be achieved with PC Amber or comparable filtered LEDs that produce a similar CCT as HPS (~ 1800 K). Figure 5. Relative impact of LEDs and HPS compared with a source similar to daylight, using the starlight index9. 2700–3000 K LEDs are similar in impact to HPS if they are operated with half of the lumen output of the HPS. 4. Equity This Street Lighting Master Plan strives to provide an equitable approach to the recommendations and establishment of priorities for implementation. This approach identifies areas that are currently underserved with street and pedestrian lighting. Some of these areas have expressed concerns of safety, and would prefer to have more lighting installed in their neighborhood. Other areas, that currently darker and have few street or pedestrian lights, have expressed concerns about dark skies and light trespass, and would prefer to no additional lighting it their neighborhood. With these disparate perceptions, this Street Lighting Master Plan encourages on-going community engagement before implementing any street lighting projects to determine what lighting strategies the community would prefer. During this on-going public engagement process, it is important to include some public education about the issues involved with guideposts, including CCT issues that are discussed in this memo. It is also as important to implement pilot demonstrations that allow citizens to see and experience the lighting options, including CCT and dimming, to gather data to make a fully informed decision on the final street and pedestrian lighting strategies to implement in any neighborhood. 1 Gibbons, Clanton. Seattle LED Adaptive Lighting Study. Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, 2014. p. 42 2 Bhagavathula, R., R. Gibbons, J. Hanifin, and G. Brainard. LED Roadway Lighting: Impact on Driver Sleep Health and Alertness, 2021. Pre-publication draft of NCHRP Research. p. Report 968. Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C. 3 Garcia-Saenz, A., et al., Evaluating the association between artificial light-at-night exposure and breast and prostate cancer risk in Spain (MCC-Spain study). Environmental Health Perspectives, 2018. 126(4): p. 047011. 4 Grubisic, M., et al., Light pollution, circadian photoreception, and melatonin in vertebrates. Sustainability, 2019. 11(22): p. 6400. 5 La Sorte, F.A., et al., Seasonal associations with urban light pollution for nocturnally migrating bird populations. Global Change Biology, 2017. 23(11): p. 4609–4619. 6 McLaren, J.D., et al., Artificial light at night confounds broad-scale habitat use by migrating birds. Ecology Letters, 2018. 21(3): p. 356–364. 7 Parkins, K.L., S.B. Elbin, and E. Barnes, Light, glass, and bird–building collisions in an urban park. Northeastern Naturalist, 2015. 22(1): p. 84–94. 8 Longcore, T., et al., Rapid assessment of lamp spectrum to quantify ecological effects of light at night. Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological and Integrative Physiology, 2018. 329(8-9): p. 511–521. 9 Donners, M., et al., Colors of attraction: modeling insect flight to light behavior. Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological and Integrative Physiology, 2018. 329(8-9): p. 434–440. 10 Kinzey, B., et al., An investigation of LED street lighting’s impact on sky glow. 2017, U.S. Department of Energy (Contract DE-AC05-76RL01830): Richland, Washington. 11 Aubé, M., J. Roby, and M. Kocifaj, Evaluating potential spectral impacts of various artificial lights on melatonin suppression, photosynthesis, and star visibility. PLoS ONE, 2013. 8(7): p. e67798. Salt Lake City Planning Commission April 14, 2021 Page 1 SALT LAKE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING This meeting was held electronically pursuant to the Salt Lake City Emergency Proclamation Wednesday, April 14, 2021 A roll is being kept of all who attended the Planning Commission Meeting. The meeting was called to order at approximately 5:30 pm. Audio recordings of the Planning Commission meetings are retained for a period. These minutes are a summary of the meeting. For complete commentary and presentation of the meeting, please visit https://www.youtube.com/c/SLCLiveMeetings. Present for the Planning Commission meeting were: Vice Chairperson, Amy Barry; Commissioners; Maurine Bachman, Adrienne Bell, Carolynn Hoskins, Jon Lee, Matt Lyon, Andres Paredes, Sara Urquhart, and Crystal Young-Otterstrom. Chairperson Brenda Scheer was excused. Planning Staff members present at the meeting were: Wayne Mills, Planning Manager; Molly Robinson, Planning Manager; Paul Nielson, Attorney; David Gellner, Principal Planner; Krissy Gilmore, Principal Planner; Aaron Barlow, Principal Planner; Marlene Rankins, Administrative Assistant; and Aubrey Clark, Administrative Assistant. Vice Chairperson, Amy Barry read the Salt Lake City emergency proclamation. REPORT OF THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR Chairperson Scheer was not present. Vice Chairperson Barry stated she had nothing to report. REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR Wayne Mills, Planning Manager, provided the public with instructions on how to participate during the meeting. He also provided the commission with information regarding how permits and zoning functions in the City. CONSENT AGENDA Red Rock Brewery Brewhouse at approximately 426 West 400 North - Conditional Use and Conditional Building and Site Design Review Time Extension Requests - MJSA Architects representing 200 West Holding, LC the property owner, is requesting that the Planning Commission grant a one-year time extension on the Conditional Use and Conditional Building and Site Design (CBSDR) approvals for a brewery at the above listed address. The Commission originally granted Conditional Use and CBSDR approval for this project on April 24, 2019. A one-year extension to the Conditional Use approval was previously granted on April 22, 2020. This request would extend both approvals to expire on April 24, 2022. The project is located within the TSA-UC-T (Transit Station Area Urban Center Transition) zoning district within Council District 3, represented by Chris Warton. (Staff contact: David J. Gellner at (385- 226-3860 or david.gellner@slcgov.com) Case numbers PLNPCM2018-01008 & PLNPCM2019-00255 APPROVAL OF THE MARCH 24, 2021, MEETING MINUTES. MOTION Commissioner Lyon moved to approve the consent agenda. Commissioner Bell seconded the motion. Commissioners; Bachman, Bell, Hoskins, Lee, Paredes, Urquhart, Young-Otterstrom, and Lyon voted “Aye”. The motion passed unanimously. Salt Lake City Planning Commission April 14, 2021 Page 2 PUBLIC HEARINGS Bookbinder Studios on 2nd West Design Review at approximately 422 South 200 West - A request by Scott Harwood, representing OZ Opportunity Fund LLC, is requesting Design Review approval to develop a 7-story, 83’-1" tall residential structure to be located on two contiguous parcels located at 418 S 200 W and 422 S 200 W. The proposed building will encompass 115 studio and one-bedroom units. The building will have two structured parking levels with 58 parking stalls and five levels of apartment units above. The applicant is requesting Design Review approval to allow for additional building height and modification to the required building entrances. The project site is located in the D-2 (Downtown Support) zoning district and is located within Council District 4, represented by Ana Valdemoros (Staff contact: Krissy Gilmore at (801) 535-7780 or kristina.gilmore@slcgov.com) Case number PLNPCM2021-00035 Krissy Gilmore, Principal Planner, reviewed the petition as outlined in the Staff Report (located in the case file). She stated Staff recommended that the Planning Commission approve the request with the conditions listed in the staff report. The Commission and Staff discussed the following: • Clarification on number of parking spaces provided Scott Harwood, Eric Hansen, and Jonathan Kland, applicants, provided a presentation with further details. The Commission, Staff and Applicant discussed the following: • Clarification on entrance layout • Whether the entrance is visible from the street or the parking lot PUBLIC HEARING Vice Chairperson Barry opened the Public Hearing; Lisa Hazel – Raised concern with energy efficiency and would like to see bike parking. Cindy Cromer – Stated that in the East downtown, a building of this height used to be an allowed use. She also stated she thinks it’s time that something is done about the fact that the planners are spending time on a request like this, where units that will be available and are modestly priced have been delayed arriving in the market place by the amount of time that the petition has been in the Planning Department. Seeing no one else wished to speak; Vice Chairperson Barry closed the Public Hearing. The applicant addressed the public comments. The commission and applicant discussed the following: • Clarification on height of structure behind the proposal • Clarification on whether the City will be undertaking mandatory zoning amendments with the result of legislative changes • Affordable Housing Overlay zone • Design Review ordinance modifications and when a proposal for height should go before the Commission Salt Lake City Planning Commission April 14, 2021 Page 3 MOTION Lyon Based on the analysis and findings listed in the staff report, information presented, and the input received during the public hearing, I move that the Planning Commission approve the Design Review request (PLNPCM2021-00035) for the project located at approximately 422 S 200 W with the conditions listed in the staff report. Commissioner Urquhart seconded the motion. Commissioners Bachman, Bell, Hoskins, Lee, Paredes, Urquhart, Young-Otterstrom, and Lyon voted “Aye”. The motion passed unanimously. 2020 Salt Lake City Street Light Master Plan - Representatives from the Department of Public Utilities of the City will provide an overview of the 2020 Salt Lake City Street Light Master Plan (Plan). Major changes in the 2020 Plan from the 2006 Plan include a systematic approach for choosing lighting strategies of public ways based on adjacent land use, pedestrian activity, and street typology. The 2020 City Street Light Master Plan includes all areas of the City and will impact all City Council districts. (Staff Contact: David Pearson, Streetlight Program Manager at (801) 483-6738 or david.Pearson@slcgov.com; or Marian Rice, Deputy Director at (801) 483-6765 or marian.rice@slcgov.com) Aaron Barlow, Principal Planner, introduced Marian Rice, Deputy Director of Salt Lake City Department of Public Services, and Jesse Stewart Salt Lake City Department of Public Services. The following participants were also available for questions: • Laura Briefer; SLCDPU • Jesse Stewart; SLCDPU • Marian Rice; SLCDPU • David Pearson; SLCDPU • Dane Sanders, Clanton & Associates; • Annaka Egan, GSBS; • Jesse Allen, GSBS; • Travis Longcore; Jesse Stewart, provided a presentation with details regarding the proposal. The Commission and Staff discussed the following: • Clarification on how neighborhood byway is defined • Process when a resident request a light on their street • Clarification on whether there is a standard number of lights on a street PUBLIC HEARING Vice Chairperson Barry opened the Public Hearing; Lisa Hazel – Stated her opposition of the request. Judi Short – Provided an email comment that was read into the record requesting to know the type of public engagement was performed. Dave Iltis – Stated his opposition of the request in its current form. Seeing no one else wished to speak; Vice Chairperson Barry closed the Public Hearing. Dane Sanders addressed the public comments and concerns. Salt Lake City Planning Commission April 14, 2021 Page 4 The Commission and Staff discussed the following: • Clarification on why the highest amount of kelvin was chosen MOTION Commissioner Lyon stated, based on the findings, analysis, testimony and plan presented, I move that the Planning Commission forward a positive recommendation to the City Council to adopt the 2020 Street Lights Master Plan and the accompanying Technical Guidance and Implementation document. With a recommendation to the City Council: 1. To further explore the warmness of the light and the kelvin temperatures and further understand that fully. Commissioner Young-Otterstrom seconded the motion. Commissioners Bachman, Bell, Hoskins, Lee, Paredes, Urquhart, Young-Otterstrom and Lyon voted “Aye”. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at approximately 7:05 pm. International Dark-Sky Association 5049 E. Broadway Blvd., #105, Tucson, AZ 85711 USA tel +1.520.293.3198 www.darksky.org Executive Director: Ruskin Hartley Emeritus Director: David L. Crawford, Ph.D. Board of Directors: Diane Knutson, President, USA • Kellie Pendoley, Vice President, Australia • Kim Patten, Treasurer, USA • Ken Kattner, Secretary, USA • Laurel Alyn-Forest, USA • Alejandro Sanchez Miguel, Spain August 16, 2021 Amy Fowler, Chair Salt Lake City Council PO Box 145476 Salt Lake City, UT 84114-5476 Re: Street Lighting Master Plan Dear Chair Fowler and Councilmembers: The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) is the recognized authority on light pollution and is the leading organization combating light pollution worldwide. We advocate for a future in which the night sky, filled with stars, is celebrated and protected around the world as shared heritage benefitting all living things. Protecting nighttime darkness and promoting quality outdoor lighting practices have distinct benefits for wildlife, human health and wellbeing, energy security, and pub- lic safety. Our vision is encapsulated in Values-Centered Outdoor Lighting (https://www.darksky.org/our- work/lighting/values-centered-outdoor-lighting/), a resolution adopted by our Board of Directors in January 2021. These values are in turn described by the Five Principles for Responsible Outdoor Lighting (https://www.darksky.org/our-work/lighting/lighting-principles/) jointly promoted by IDA and the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES): 1. All light should have a clear purpose 2. Light should be directed only where needed 3. Light should be no brighter than necessary 4. Light should be used only when it is useful 5. Use warmer color lights whenever possible IDA supports the draft Street Lighting Master Plan that currently under consideration by the Salt Lake City Council. We find it to be consistent with both Values-Centered Outdoor Lighting and the Five Principles. It contains the best practices that we encourage for all jurisdictions, and if adopted it would set a new standard for street lighting plans for large cities. In particular, the IDA commends specific policy elements of the plan that give it flexibility while not compromising on core principles. These elements include: • A flexible approach to allow illumination levels below IES recommendations that en- courages dimming strategies based on community engagement and that benefits both dark skies and wildlife (Principles 3 and 4). • Use of zones for maximum permissible Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) values that limit 3000 kelvin (K) lighting to commercial zones; sets 2700 K as the maximum for residential zones without commercial elements; and establishes 2200 K as a maximum in open space and the industrial zones, which happen to be near sensitive natural resources in and near the city (Principle 5). • Inclusion of policy goals to minimize impacts on wildlife and to balance energy effi- ciency with human and environmental health needs (Principle 1). • A commitment to shielding decorative street lighting to eliminate uplight (Principles 1 and 2). • Specific commitment to reduce the obtrusive effects of light at night, including light trespass onto private property, light pollution affecting the region, and glare that re- duces visibility and nighttime safety and comfort (Principle 2). Municipal lighting systems represent a large component of the light pollution generated by cities in the United States. This plan, when implemented, will reduce light pollution from Salt Lake City and make it a leader in this field. We have experience with the successful LED streetlight conversion of Tucson, Arizona, that measurably decreased the city’s light emissions (see https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti- cle/abs/pii/S0022407317308178). Appropriate technology and lighting design approaches are available to upgrade street lighting systems, reduce energy consumption, and limit the adverse impacts of excessive artificial light at night. The Salt Lake City plan goes a step further to incorpo- rate 2200 K lighting in some areas, and offers flexibility to choose lower CCTs in residential and commercial areas. This plan would put Salt Lake City at the vanguard of outdoor lighting best practices among world municipalities. Given the above considerations, we urge the City to adopt the Street Lighting Master Plan. Yours sincerely, John C. Barentine, Ph.D. Director of Conservation cc: Salt Lake City Council Hon. Erin Mendenhall, Mayor Street Lighting Master Plan City Council Presentation August 17, 2021 Planning Commission Recommendation SLCDPU Presented to the Salt Lake City Planning Commission April 14th 2021 •Planning Commission made a positive recommendation to the City Council to adopt the Street Lights Master Plan and the accompanying Technical Guidance and Implementation document. •Planning Commission recommended to the City Council to further explore the warmness of the light and the kelvin temperatures, and further understand that fully. Engagement Process Advisory Committee Technical Committee Residents selected by Council Staff Represent the interests and concerns of their district in relation to street lighting. •SLC Sustainability •SLC Fire Department •SLC Police Department •SLC Transportation •SLC Engineering •SLC Planning •SLC Parks and Public Lands Salt Lake City Transportation Division Salt Lake City Engineering Division Salt Lake City Planning Division Guideposts Color Temperature CCT = 1800K CCT = 2200K CCT = 2700K CCT = 3000K CCT and Dimming Pilot Study Dusk to 10pm Light Criteria 10pm to 12am Reduce Pedestrian Criteria 12am to 2am Light Criteria 2am to Dawn Reduce to Low Ped Criteria Thank You!