Your Neighbor's Lighting

Does your neighbor have an outdoor light fixture that casts a bright light onto your property and even inside your home? Here are some practical steps you can take.

• Make friends, not enemies. Your neighbor probably doesn't even realize their lighting is bothersome.

• Be tactful and understanding about your neighbor’s right to light their property and their need to feel safe.

• Educate your neighbor about Nantucket's outdoor lighting bylaw if you think they are in violation of it. Let them know about our online publication called Outdoor Lighting Guide: Lighting with Nantucket in Mind with our sample Dear Neighbor letter.

• Suggest alternatives to their current fixture. Ask them to move the light, shield it, or add a motion sensor so it’s activated only when needed. Offer to help get this done.

• Be informative. Talking to your neighbor is an great opportunity to educate about the harm from light pollution besides its impact on you.
  

• Help your neighbor find dark sky friendly fixtures and devices. Point to homes nearby that have outdoor light fixtures that are dark sky friendly.

• Remember that everyone wants the same thing: a chance to relax in his or her own home. Work together to create an atmosphere that benefits the community.

Adapted from https://darksky.org/resources/what-is-light-pollution/light-pollution-solutions/lighting/my-neighbors-lighting/