Flower Mound City Council votes to examine probable dark sky designation

Flower Mound skies could grow to be additional tranquil in spite of a increasing inhabitants subsequent the Town Council’s unanimous vote Aug. 23 on a resolution stating their intent to sign up for the Global Dim-Sky Affiliation.

If the council subsequently votes to sign up for the association, new developments would inevitably be limited to the association’s requirements on how significantly light they could emit into the night time sky. Town officials approach to even further research the designation. The affiliation has an software method that requires one to 3 years, according to a team memo posted with the meeting agenda.

Signing up for the association would correctly allow Flower Mound to bypass Texas Property Invoice 2439. The invoice accredited in 2019 prohibits a municipality from limiting the set up of creating supplies that create gentle air pollution if the components are authorised by national product codes. During the session before this yr, Texas Senate Bill 1090 furnished an exemption for municipalities that state an intention to join the Worldwide Dim-Sky Association.

According to the Global Dark-Sky Association’s site, the group’s in-point out portfolio incorporates Lakewood Village on Lewisville Lake and the Central Texas communities of Fredericksburg, Dripping Springs, Horseshoe Bay, and Wimberley and Woodcreek jointly. 30-two municipalities participate in the association around the globe, with 25 customers in the United States, the web site stated.

Flower Mound would be the greatest Texas municipality to sign up for the organization, according to the most recent populace estimates presented by every referenced municipality.

In accordance to the memo, Flower Mound adopted an outside lights ordinance in 2002 that has been deemed productive. Signing up for the Intercontinental Dim-Sky Association could consist of extra stringent regulations.

In accordance to the association’s site, its requirements incorporate discouraging the use of unshielded floodlights and unshielded streetlights and generating athletics industry lighting a lot less invasive to make the evening sky additional noticeable.