City of Encinitas, CA
11/04/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/04/2026 17:37
Encinitas Begins Work on Dark Skies Ordinance
The City of Encinitas is beginning work to prepare a Dark Skies Ordinance to address light pollution and promote responsible outdoor lighting throughout the community.
The initiative is part of the City Council's 2026-2027 Work Plan, which aims to advance environmental stewardship, shoreline protection, and open space. Community input will be essential to developing the proposed ordinance, helping ensure it reflects the needs, priorities and perspectives of the Encinitas community before it is presented to the City Council for consideration.
What is a Dark Skies Ordinance?
Light pollution occurs when artificial outdoor lighting is excessive, misdirected, or unnecessarily bright. It can affect coastal ecosystems and wildlife, human health, energy consumption, public safety, and night sky heritage.
A Dark Skies Ordinance can establish standards for outdoor lighting to reduce light pollution from homes, businesses, streets, and public spaces to protect ecosystems, improve safety, save energy, and preserve visibility of the night sky. Common approaches include directing light where it is needed, limiting unnecessary brightness and encouraging warmer-colored lighting.
Community Input Will Help Shape the Ordinance
The City is in the early stages of the process, and no specific regulation has been proposed yet. As the City explores opportunities to better manage nighttime lighting, there will be opportunities for residents to learn more, share their perspectives, and help identify what impacts matters most to our community.
Community input will help inform the development of a proposed ordinance before it is presented to the City Council for consideration.
Stay Informed and Get Involved
Community participation will be essential as the City develops the proposed Dark Skies Ordinance. Encinitas community members are encouraged to stay informed and participate in upcoming opportunities to share their input.
Sign up for City Updates to receive:
- Important updates as the Dark Skies Ordinance moves forward
- Notifications about upcoming workshops and community meetings
- Opportunities to participate in public engagement surveys and provide feedback
Your voice can help shape the conversation.
Visit encinitasca.gov/cityupdates to sign up to receive City newsletters and e-notifications. Select "Dark Skies Ordinance" and any other topics of interest. Community members are also encouraged to attend future public meetings.
For questions, please contact Charlotte Brenner, Associate Planner by email at [email protected] or by phone at (760) 633-2784.
Para Asistenica en español, por favor llame al (760) 943-2150.
City of Encinitas, CA published this content on November 04, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on November 04, 2026 at 23:37 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]