NEW OUTDOOR LIGHTING BYLAW ADOPTED AT 2023 TOWN MEETING

The outdoor lighting bylaw proposed by Nantucket Lights founder Gail Walker (Citizen Warrant Article 76) was adopted at Nantucket's 2023 Annual Town Meeting on a vote of 298-152, following a motion to amend by Nantucket Public Schools superintendent Beth Hallett that would have gutted it was soundly defeated on a vote of 169-288.

The proposal received a positive recommendation from the Town’s Finance Committee and was endorsed by the Nantucket Civic League, the Nantucket Historical Commission, the Nantucket Land and Water Council, and many neighborhood associations.

Article 76, as adopted, was approved by the Massachusetts Attorney General on Sept. 8, 2023 (see Town of Nantucket Notice here) and thus became effective Jan. 1, 2024, by its terms.

The new bylaw replaces the outdoor lighting bylaw that was adopted in 2005 and appears as Chapter 102 in the Nantucket Code. It is available online here.

Summary of New Bylaw

Guide for complying with the new bylaw

Achieving Compliance

Outdoor Lighting Guide: Lighting with Nantucket in Mind

An Outdoor Lighting Guide published by Nantucket Lights is available to help property owners comply with the new bylaw. It's available online at no cost here and complimentary hard copies are available to architects, builders, lighting designers, and electricians upon request.

Action Plan for Town-Owned Lighting

In the fall of 2024, in a project co-sponsored by Nantucket Lights and the Town, a team of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) students inventoried all town-owned outdoor lighting to help the Town come up with an action plan to bring its lighting into compliance with the new bylaw.

Click here to read their report.

Training for the Trades

In November 2024, in partnership with the Nantucket Builders Association, we held a Lunch & Learn for architects, designers, builders, and electricians about the new outdoor lighting regulations. The lunch buffet was courtesy of Nantucket Electrical Contractors.

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