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Article 5: Development Standards
Section 5.15. Exterior Lighting
5.15.6. Street Lighting
June 23, 2017
Morrisville, NC
Page 5-146
Unified Development Ordinance
5.15.6.
Street Lighting
A.
Purpose
Good visibility under day or night conditions is one of the fundamental requirements enabling all users
of streets to move on roadways, bikeways, and sidewalks in a safe and coordinated manner. The
purpose of this subsection is to ensure street lighting that is properly designed and maintained to produce
comfortable and accurate visibility at night and facilitate and encourage both vehicular and pedestrian
traffic.
B.
Applicability
The standards in this subsection shall be applied when any of the following occur:
a.
A developer requests installation of street lights adjacent to a roadway to be accepted by the
Town.
b.
A Certificate of Compliance/Occupancy is issued in the immediate area of the proposed street
light location, provided the proposed location serves a roadway that has been accepted by
the Town or by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
c.
A thoroughfare or collector street within the corporate limits of the Town is constructed or
improved as a part of development.
Street lighting facilities and street lights shall be installed, at the developer’s expense, on any
roadway, portion of roadway, or widening prior to acceptance of that roadway by the Town or
North Carolina Department of Transportation for routine maintenance, unless otherwise approved
by the Planning Director and Town Engineer.
C.
Electrical Distribution Systems for Street Lighting
All underground electrical distribution systems for street lighting shall be installed according to the
following standards:
Underground service for light fixtures shall be installed in conformance with the electric utility
service provider and Town standards at the developer’s expense.
The placement of street lighting fixtures in residential areas shall be at intervals of 400 to 600
feet unless:
a.
The roadway length is less than 400 feet, but more than 200 feet, in which case a street light
shall be provided at the end of the street and/or in the cul-de-sac;
b.
The roadway length is less than 200 feet, a street light is placed at the intersection, and no
natural features create a problem—in which case a street light is required at the end of the
roadway;
c.
The vertical and horizontal street alignment or natural features necessitate shorter spacing
intervals; or
d.
A decorative pole of less than 25 feet and fixture are proposed.
The placement of street lighting along thoroughfares and collector streets, and in nonresidential
areas, shall be in accordance with the latest revision of the Illuminating Engineering Society’s
“American National Standard for Roadway Lighting” and the Town’s street lighting policy.
A street light shall be provided at all street intersections and adequately light all crosswalks.