City of Alexandria, Virginia
________________
MEMORANDUM
DATE: OCTOBER 7, 2026
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
THROUGH: JAMES F. PARAJON, CITY MANAGER
FROM: LEAH RILEY, DIRECTOR, TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Introduction and First Reading. Consideration. Passage on First Reading of an Ordinance to Amend Section 13-1-3 (COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES AND RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES - NIGHT ILLUMINATION) of Chapter 1 (GENERAL OFFENSES) of Title 13 (MISCELLANEOUS OFFENSES) of the Code of the City of Alexandria, Virginia, 1981, as amended.
BODY
_________________________________________________________________
ISSUE: Should City Council adopt amendments to City Code Section 13-1-3 to establish consistent enforcement mechanisms and civil penalties for violations of the existing ordinance in which a commercial or residential property’s use of outdoor lighting illuminates onto adjacent properties.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council approve the Ordinance (Attachment 2) on first reading and schedule it for public hearing, second reading, and final passage.
BACKGROUND: City Code Section 13-1-3 regulates the use and placement of outdoor lighting by commercial and residential properties. This Section states that it shall be unlawful for a property to use outdoor lighting such that the illumination and glare from the lighting is thrown onto a residential property adjacent from the property utilizing outdoor lighting. The Section also states that all lights shall be shielded or directed so as to confine the area of diffusion for which they are intended to illuminate.
In recent years, residents and commercial buildings have replaced lights with brighter LED lights on the interior and/or exterior of buildings and in parking lots for safety, security, and lighting
code purposes. These lights are generating more resident complaints/concerns as the glare is affecting neighboring properties.
Staff enforce this section of the City Code on a complaint basis and have been largely successful in managing code violations through voluntary compliance. Remediations are generally achieved by better directing the lighting or adding shielding to help confine the area of illumination to its intended location. However, there have been a small number of instances where voluntary compliance has not been achieved. Staff propose to amend the City Code to prioritize voluntary compliance but also to allow for civil penalties if it cannot be achieved.
DISCUSSION: The proposed amendments will provide staff with clear authority and tools to address complaint-driven violations, while continuing its existing practice of prioritizing voluntary compliance by providing written warnings, and working with violators to achieve voluntary compliance. If those efforts are unsuccessful, enforcement escalates to a Notice of Violation (NOV) with no civil penalty, followed by a NOV with increasing civil penalties.
The Enforcement process is:
• First violation is Written Warning. Upon issuance, staff will offer to work with the person to achieve voluntary compliance
o Movement to second violation will only occur if the person does not demonstrate good faith efforts to comply
• Second violation is Warning NOV (no civil penalty)
• Third violation is NOV with civil penalty
• Penalties shall be progressive:
o $100 for the third violation of this section
o $250 for the fourth violation if within seven days of the third violation
o $500 for the fifth and subsequent violations if within 14 days of the third violation
o If a fourth violation occurs more than 7 days after the third violation, or if a fifth or subsequent violation occurs more than 14 days after the third violation, then penalties for that violation will be the same as those issued for a third violation.
Enforcement is typically initiated on a complaint basis, which most commonly occurs from submission of Alex311 service requests. Once a complaint is received, an on-site investigation is carried out to determine if there is a code violation. If a violation is noted, staff will attempt to contact the property owner and offer to work with them to achieve voluntary compliance. Issuance of an NOV with civil penalty will occur only if the property owner refuses to comply with the City Code. There are typically ten or fewer nighttime illumination complaints annually, most of which stem from lighting attached to multifamily buildings. Staff is able to achieve voluntary compliance with the majority of the property owners.
Following approval of the amended ordinance, staff will contact the small number of property owners that have not voluntarily complied and inform them, by letter, of the enforcement process. Staff will also contact residential property management companies citywide to provide materials on nighttime illumination requirements, the enforcement process, and staff contact information.
The proposed ordinance amendments provide a balanced approach that emphasizes compliance while maintaining flexibility to work collaboratively with residents and other property owners.
FISCAL IMPACT: The proposed ordinance is not expected to have a significant fiscal impact. Revenue generated from civil penalties, if any, is anticipated to be minimal, and less than $1,000 annually. The primary intent of the ordinance is to promote voluntary compliance.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Ordinance Cover
Attachment 2: Ordinance
STAFF:
Emily A. Baker, P.E., Deputy City Manager
Lindsay Dubin, Assistant City Attorney
Erin Bevis-Carver, P.E., Deputy Director, Environmental Services, Transportation and Environmental Services
Melissa Atwood, Senior Environmental Specialist, Environmental Quality, Transportation and Environmental Services