Dark Sky Initiative

PRESERVING THE NIGHT SKY

By Council Member Ryan Stack 

"For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream."

          -Vincent van Gogh

Over the last few years Heber City has taken great strides to reclaim and preserve its night sky.  The City’s burgeoning Dark Sky initiative includes actionable measures to reduce night-time light pollution, so residents and visitors can enjoy the night sky’s natural beauty.  To this end the City Council has approved new ordinances and standards that equip the Engineering and Planning Departments with the necessary tools to protect Heber’s night sky.  We have adopted updated standard drawings and specifications that require all public lighting to be dark sky compliant (the City first adopted dark sky compliant fixtures in 2019).  

In 2021 the City Council voted to change the standard number of public lights required within a development.  This new standard jettisoned the prior requirement to have a street light every 200-300 feet and replaced it with a requirement for lighting only at intersections with collector roads (while retaining discretion to require street lights at other critical points as required for public safety).  This update also finally eliminated the ugly and tired cobra head lighting from the City’s road standards. 

During this time the Council also voted to require all new buildings (including dwelling units) citywide to comply with City dark sky requirements.  Now, all new buildings must have full cutoff exterior lighting.  Full cutoff lighting shields the bulb and directs light downward, not up into the sky.  This new standard is designed to substantially reduce light pollution and its impact on night sky visibility.    

 These updated codes and standards form the foundation for the next key stage.  The City, in cooperation with Heber Light & Power, is about to start the process of retrofitting the street lights on Main Street so they become dark-sky compliant.  Phase One, which is included in the current fiscal year’s budget, includes those lights between 400 North and 400 South.  Phase two will focus on those lights north of 400 North and south of 400 South.  Work is expected to begin on Phase One in the next month or two.  City staff is also strategizing the best way to bring City-owned facilities into dark sky compliance by early Spring 2023. 

Once these projects are wrapped up, City staff will shift its focus to those street lights located elsewhere in the City.  Some neighborhoods have excessive street lights and/or outdated lights that should be retrofitted to become dark sky compliant.  We want to hear from you!   Please see below to submit your request(s), where you can nominate non-corner/intersection streetlights to be evaluated for retrofitting or even decommissioned.  

With your help Heber City can reclaim its night sky!  

Dark Sky Compliance Request Form