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The local law prohibits nighttime illumination of the exterior or interior of any building whose main use or dominant occupancy is classified in group B or M pursuant to the New York City building code. Small stores are exempted and certain landmarked buildings may apply for a waiver of this requirement. Where a building owner has made a showing of special circumstances indicating a need for night security lighting the department may vary or waive the requirements of this section. Buildings may remain illuminated where individuals remain inside and where nighttime illumination is required by law, rule or zoning resolution. Seasonal displays may be illuminated until midnight and storefront displays are permitted limited illumination until midnight.

  • Filed (End of Session)

History

City Council
Filed (End of Session)
Committee on Environmental Protection
Hearing Held by Committee
Committee on Environmental Protection
Laid Over by Committee
City Council
Referred to Comm by Council
City Council
Introduced by Council

Int. No. 578

 

By Council Members Richards, Chin, Constantinides, Gibson, Levine, Mendez, Johnson, Rodriguez, Rose, Van Bramer, Williams, Rosenthal, Lander and Kallos

 

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to limiting nighttime illumination for certain buildings.

 

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

 

Section 1. Subchapter 2 of chapter 1 of title 24 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 24-116.1 to read as follows:

§ 24-116.1 Limitations on nighttime illumination. a. As used in this section, “night” means the period of time beginning at sunset and ending at sunrise.

b. No exterior or interior of a building whose main use or dominant occupancy is classified in group B or M pursuant to the New York city building code may be illuminated at night, except as follows:

1. This subdivision shall not apply to small stores, as such term is defined in section 20-910.

2. An owner of a building that is a landmark, as such term is defined in section 25-302 of the code, and twenty or more stories in height may apply to the landmarks preservation commission for relief from the provisions of this section for such building. If such commission finds that such building is a significant part of the city’s skyline, as determined pursuant to rules promulgated by such commission, such commission may, after consultation with the department, waive or vary the provisions of this section for such building.

3. Upon a showing by a building owner that special circumstances indicate a need for night security lighting for such building, the department may waive or vary the provisions of this section for such building to the minimum extent necessary to accommodate such lighting. The department shall, in coordination with the police department and the department of buildings, promulgate rules defining such special circumstances. 

4. Where individuals are inside of a building at night, such building’s interior or exterior may remain illuminated until such individuals exit such building.

5. This subdivision shall not prohibit illumination of a building’s interior or exterior at night where such illumination is required by law, rule or the New York zoning resolution.

6. Storefront display windows containing temporary seasonal displays may be illuminated until midnight or until the last individual within the building exits, whichever occurs later.

7. Storefront display windows, other than those containing temporary seasonal displays, may be illuminated at night, provided that (i) such illumination does not exceed fifty watts per linear foot of the window perimeter until midnight and does not exceed twenty-five watts per linear foot of the window perimeter after midnight, (ii) no more than twenty percent of the luminaires providing such illumination are located more than fifteen feet from the window, and (iii) each luminaire used for such illumination has a luminous efficacy greater than thirty lumens per watt.

c. An owner or operator of a building found to be in violation this section shall be subject to a civil penalty of one thousand dollars for each violation.

d. The department shall enforce the provisions of this section.

§2.  This local law shall take effect 120 days after enactment, except that the commissioner of environmental protection and chair of the landmarks preservation commission shall take such measures as are necessary for the implementation of this local law, including the promulgation of rules, prior to such date.

 

LS # 2187 SS

10/16/14 5:04 p.m.

Int. No. 7 of 2010