City to residents: Keep outdoor lights off neighbors

INDIAN ROCKS BEACH — How many lighting ordinances does a municipality need?

If you're Indian Rocks Beach, it may soon be three.

The city already regulates lighting along its Gulf beaches to protect nesting sea turtles and has separate rules for dock lighting. Now commissioners are considering a third set of regulations aimed at keeping homeowners' outdoor lights from shining into neighboring properties and across waterways.

The proposal is a response to concerns from residents about excessive lighting, particularly along the city's waterfront, where bright lights can illuminate properties across canals and the Intracoastal Waterway.

Mayor Lan Vaughan suggested calling the proposal a “Good Neighbor” lighting ordinance during a work session held as part of the commission's regular Oct. 13 meeting.

“We’re trying to prevent lights from shining into other people’s homes,” Vaughan said. “We’re trying to protect our environment, our sea turtles, our fish, our wildlife. And we do have a lot of [short-term rentals] that are turning their docks into a bright beacon that shines across the water and it literally invades homes across the waterways.’’

He suggested that simple changes could address many complaints.

“I can probably point five docks off of my backyard, that if they just put a simple funnel over their light and it pointed down and it turned off at night, I would be completely happy,” the mayor said.

City Manager Ryan Henderson said the city currently lacks general regulations addressing residential lighting that spills onto neighboring properties, a problem known as “light trespass.”

In the past, he said, code enforcement officers have contacted property owners or managers about complaints and asked them to shield or redirect their lights.

“We've had general response, good response on that,” Henderson said. ”People are pretty accommodating when it comes to that. But we don’t have anything in our ordinances that provides that kind of teeth.”

The draft ordinance would establish measurable limits on light spilling beyond property lines and require shielding on outdoor fixtures. It would prohibit unshielded floodlights and spotlights from being aimed toward neighboring properties, public rights-of-way or waterways.

Lighting generally would be limited to.5 footcandle at adjoining property lines, with a stricter limit of.25 footcandle toward waterways. The amount of light reaching those locations would be measured with a light meter.

The proposal also includes restrictions on fixture mounting heights and provisions governing waterfront lighting.

Violations could eventually result in fines of up to $250 per day for initial offenses and $500 per day for repeat violations.

Commissioner Kellee Watt questioned whether the proposed ordinance would address existing lights that shine into neighboring yards or across waterways.

Under the draft, certain existing fixtures could remain until they are replaced or modified, potentially allowing the problems to continue, Watt pointed out.

City Attorney Matthew Maggard said the grandfathering language could be revised to establish a period for bringing nonconforming lighting into compliance.

Residents also weighed in.

John Thayer, a Bay Boulevard resident, urged commissioners to strengthen the city's existing dock-lighting regulations rather than leave them largely untouched.

“I would recommend that we incorporate dock lighting in this because that's one of the biggest issues,” he said.

Kathy Gerson, a First Street resident, welcomed the proposed restrictions.

“I am so happy to see this because there is a lot of light in my neighborhood that's very annoying,” she said.

Gerson suggested examining model lighting ordinances developed by DarkSky International, an organization that advocates reducing light pollution.

Indian Rocks Beach has regulated beachfront lighting since 1991, with amendments adopted in 1999. Those provisions bar certain decorative lighting in beach areas and require fixtures to be aimed or shielded to prevent illumination that could interfere with nesting sea turtles and hatchlings.

The city also has separate dock-lighting requirements under Section 94-91 of its code.

The new ordinance would establish broader standards for residential properties throughout the city, including homes outside the beachfront areas covered by the existing turtle-protection rules.

Even if commissioners agree on the proposal, adoption could be delayed by Senate Bill 180, the controversial emergency and land-use law enacted a year after the 2024 hurricanes.

Maggard said the restrictions could prevent the city from adopting the ordinance until sometime in 2027, although lawmakers might revise the law during the next legislative session.

“I think we have some time to work through it,” he said.

Commissioners discussed referring the proposal to the city's planning and zoning board for additional review.

Maggard emphasized that the draft was only a starting point.

“Don't get hung up on any very specific language,” he said. “It's just intended to get you thinking about what do we need to think about, what do we want ours to look like.”

No vote was taken.