“If you burn your neighbors house down, it doesn’t make your house look any better.”
~ Lou Holtz
Overheard: Our next-door neighbors have had some new porch lights fitted in various places round the house. These are the brightest bulbs I’ve ever seen in my life; they produce a very harsh blue-white light and are probably equivalent in output to a small airport. They are even difficult to look at in broad daylight, and at night the glare comes right through our blinds and produces an effect similar to a car with full headlights on – shining right into our bedroom.
I will of course – when I next see them – politely ask if they will replace the bulbs with something a bit less extreme, but in the event that they refuse or don’t actually follow through, are there any precedents for this sort of situation? Are light pollution laws and restrictions common?
Me: I *always* plant cypress trees, which in Washington state grow like weeds. I plant them on either side of my house, even if I only have a neighbor on one side. And I plant them across the back. I like the privacy it offers.
Legal: But it you would rather, there are legal recourses you can explore. For Example
Exterior Lights shall be shielded and directed away from residentially zoned lots. The Director may require that the intensity of illumination be limited and that the location of the lighting be changed.
The home occupation shall be conducted so that noise, odor, smoke, dust, light and glare, and electrical interference and other similar impacts are not detectable by sensory perception at or beyond the property line of the lot where the home occupation is located.
Since I am not a lawyer and the laws where you live might be different from where I live, you might want to consult legal services.
The Bis Key Chronicles 