The Salt Lake Tribune -- Ogden Valley's Starry Skies Will Shine On

Ogden Valley's Starry Skies Will Shine On

Saturday, February 12, 2000

BY KRISTEN MOULTON
THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE

    OGDEN -- Stargazers are in heaven after the Weber County Commission adopted Utah's first-ever "dark sky" ordinance.
    "I am incandescent with joy," said Sharon Holmstrom of Eden.
    The ordinance is designed to preserve the star-studded nighttime views that Holmstrom and her Ogden Valley neighbors enjoy on the east side of the Wasatch Mountains.

Past Stories:
'Dark Sky' Ordinance Draws Little Protest (9/21/99)
Light Pollution Interfering With Night Sky in National Parks (3/26/99)
Turn Down the Lights, Astronomers Plead (3/18/99)
Web Links:
Sky and Telescope -- Astronomers and light pollution
International Dark Sky Association
The American Association of Amateur Astronomers - Astronomy Links

    New commercial, manufacturing, multifamily housing and public projects in the valley will have to install light fixtures that reduce glare and aim the beam down rather than up into the sky.
    John Sohl, director of Weber State University's planetarium, called the commission's unanimous decision "a good start."
    He told county officials this week that fifth- and sixth-grade students who live under city skies often are amazed to discover there are 6,000 stars visible to the human eye, not 100.
    "We are losing our heritage to lighting," Sohl said.
    The township planning commissions for East Huntsville and Liberty-Nordic Valley, composed of residents adamant about holding on to the Ogden Valley's rural charm, pushed for the law, along with the Weber County Planning Commission.
    Huntsville's Town Council is expected to pass a similar ordinance on the recommendation of its Planning Commission. When that happens, the entire Ogden Valley will be under dark sky ordinances.
    Lorna Rich, a valley resident for more than 26 years, says the stars seen there still have the power to dazzle, something lost on the west side of the mountains years ago.
    The three Weber commissioners -- not exactly wild about laying down a restrictive new law -- nonetheless had to agree there was little opposition among valley residents.
    Commission Chairman Kenneth Bischoff said he had not heard a single negative comment, and planner Kelly Grier, who researched and wrote the ordinance, noted the same.
    Only one valley resident who spoke at this week's public hearing hedged. James Banks of Liberty said existing lights have several times kept him from hitting joggers in the pre-dawn hours.
    Two other Utah cities -- Park City and Springdale -- have outdoor lighting ordinances similar to Ogden Valley's, but neither is called a "dark sky" ordinance.
    Dianne McDonald, director of community development in Springdale, said that town has toyed with the idea of a dark sky ordinance, generally considered more restrictive.
    Springdale, located just outside Zion National Park, has had its ordinance forfive years, and Park City for two.
    In southeastern Utah, Moab restricts blinking business lights and requires the operator of a new tram to use non-polluting lights. But the city does not have a blanket lighting ordinance.
    Flagstaff, Ariz., is believed to have been the first city to adopt such an ordinance in 1958. After Tucson, Ariz., and San Diego passed such laws in the 1980s, they became increasingly common across the nation.
    Grier modeled Ogden Valley's law on ordinances in Sedona, Ariz., and Ketchum, Idaho, although those are more restrictive.
    For instance, the one adopted by Weber County does not apply to single family homes, duplexes, or farms and ranches. The county will consider expanding the law to those later, but such a move would require more public comment, Grier said.
    The new ordinance also does not require ballparks or the Ogden Valley's three ski resorts -- two of which have night skiing -- to comply until after 11 p.m. each night.
    Commissioners also rejected a request to require existing businesses to install new fixtures. County officials feared such a rule would bring a lawsuit.
    Kevin Lewis, an electrical engineer who was consulted on the ordinance, estimated that 60 percent to 70 percent of the existing lights would comply with the ordinance anyway. Most of Utah Power's current streetlights, which are grandfathered under the new law, would not.
    As for new construction, Lewis said, the low-polluting lights do not generally cost more and are widely available.
    Patrick Putt, Park City's planning director, said most cities with lighting ordinances actually save money on energy and bulb replacement. That's because the newer, shielded lights focus the beam more sharply and do not require as much wattage.
    Sohl, the planetarium director, was particularly happy with the ordinance because Ogden Valley is considered a good spot for serious stargazers.
    Weber State's physics department owns several acres at the top of Powder Mountain Ski Resort, and hopes to build an observatory and research center there some day. And several Western universities have expressed interest in placing a telescope on the site at the north end of Ogden Valley, Sohl said.

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