Come to the Ojai Planning Commission meeting, 7:30 February 18 at Ojai City Hall to discuss a proposed draft lighting ordinance and where it will be placed on the Planning Dept list of priorities. Also review the ordinance summary HERE.
Gail Topping joined the OVGC Energy Committee because she became increasingly alarmed about the Ojai Valley’s increasing light pollution. She researched light ordinances from other communities such as Ketchum Idaho, Tucson Arizona, Boulder Colorado and Santa Ynez California. A website, DarkSkies.com, provided further information. Finally she and the Energy Committee drafted a 12 page document and presented it to the City of Ojai’s Planning Department.
The proposed draft ordinance addresses the need for shielded street lights, timers, sensors and better technology to stop light energy waste and to return Ojai’s night sky to darkness. The proposed ordinance will also reduce glare for drivers and aid in nocturnal animal patterns, enhancing their ability to survive in our environment. Added benefits include lower energy bill costs.
An important component of the Green Coalition’s mission is to advocate on a legislative level about important issues such as this one. The Energy Committee is taking a leadership role in this regard. There are many other issues that will need this kind of leadership as we move toward a sustainable future in the Ojai Valley.
If you are also concerned about these issues, The Ojai Valley Green Coalition urges you to attend the Planning Commission meeting with this proposed light ordinance on the agenda.
