A Las Vegas “dark sky” ordinance approved this month would limit how much light an upcoming northwest valley Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple can emit at night.
The law — affirmed at the Feb. 5 City Council meeting — doesn’t specifically mention the controversial project being built near Lone Mountain.
However, it “exclusively” applies to its rural Lone Mountain neighborhood and in the La Madre Foothills area, according to the city.
“These two areas contain a larger share of traditional neighborhoods and rural place types where residents value darker skies, ranch-style development, reduced street lighting and where lower density neighborhoods transition to the mountains,” the city said.
The church, which often refers to light as a religious symbol, had planned to illuminate the temple 24 hours a day.
“All new construction, or any modification of over 50 (percent) of the area of the site with regard to landscaping, construction, or lighting shall require full compliance (with the ordinance),” according to an amendment proposal.
Under the new law, lights on structures taller than 35 feet will need to be turned off from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Councilwoman Francis Allen-Palenske had previously said the dark-sky proposal was in the works.
The guidelines call for lighting temperatures on structures to not exceed 4,000 Kelvin.
The ordinance “prohibits extreme bright white and blue light and allows warmer or gentle white light,” according to the city.
Light fixtures also will need to have shields with shielding angles dependent on height, the city said.
The church, in a statement, said it was aware of the ordinance and will comply with it.
The project, which will include a temple steeple reaching a height of almost 200 feet, faced criticism from nearby residents who protested the city’s approval process and alleged it would disrupt the rural makeup of the neighborhood.
The City Council ultimately approved the 70,000-square-foot facility, which will also include ample parking, landscaping and a meeting house with a non-lit steeple, according to the church.
A District Court judge this month dismissed a complaint filed by the Nevada Rural Preservation Alliance, which sought a legal review of the project.
An attorney representing the church last year told the Las Vegas Planning Commission that the lighting plans would not affect the neighborhood outside the facility.
The light rays would dissipate within the property, attorney Jennifer Lazovich said.
“It is not a brightly-lit building that will light up adjacent properties,” she had said. “It’s never intended to do that, nor would they do that.”
Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com.
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