BUDA — The standard to become an International Dark Sky Community is changing, opening the door for more cities to qualify. At its May 19 meeting, Buda City Council discussed whether to advance the city’s own certification process — one that has been in the works since 2016.
Officially becoming an International Dark Sky Community would allow Buda to regulate outdoor lighting within city limits. After hearing a presentation from Development Services assistant director Will Parish and debating the matter amongst themselves, council voted 5-2 to continue the certification process, with council members Monica Davidson and LaVonia Horne-Williams dissenting.
Currently, there are only seven communities with International Dark Sky certification in Texas. Buda’s own process has come with bumps in the road, including restricted regulatory authority from the legislature, which prevents the city from enforcing outdoor lighting, and the city’s proximity to a major metropolitan area, which increases light pollution.
Buda applied for Dark Sky certification previously in 2021, but didn’t meet the required qualifications. Certification requires all lighting to meet brightness standards and city owned lighting to be brought into conformance within five years, as well as Dark Sky awareness events and sky quality measurements.
At the meeting, council was provided with a checklist of Dark Sky requirements. Parish stated, “You’ll see that the majority of items on that list have a ‘Y’ for ‘comply,’ so there’s very few items that we have not completed.”
The city has since worked to amend the unified development code to ensure light fixtures are shielded and cut-off, set maximum pole heights for parking lot lighting and enforce maximum lumens, or total brightness, per acre. Seeking Dark Sky certification is also incorporated in Buda’s 2024 Comprehensive Plan and is included in the cost for light replacement in its annual budget. However, the city’s application has never been approved.
At a joint meeting with the Sustainability Committee earlier this year, council agreed to press pause on seeking Dark Sky certification, due to ongoing challenges. Council members also expressed concern that restrictions could negatively affect local businesses that wish to keep their signs illuminated at night.
In response, city staff discussed alternative pathways with Dark Sky International that could balance dark sky goals with commercial interests and feasibility based on location.
“Our discussions have led us to the point where Dark Sky International has actually proposed a pilot program with the city of Buda for a new Dark Sky International certification for cities” who are affected by light pollution from densely populated areas, said Parish.
According to city staff, the amended certification process would reduce annual reporting requirements, grant businesses to keep signs illuminated outside business hours and allow private lighting fixtures that are already in place to be replaced gradually as they deteriorate, rather than requiring compliance by a fixed deadline.
“It will be a certification from Dark Sky International; it’ll just be a different level of certification,” Parish explained.
Without certification, Buda cannot enforce lighting standards that are stricter than the international ordinance code per state law.
Some council members found the reduced requirements sufficient to seek certification again and be able to regulate outdoor lighting, while others felt the process remained unrealistic.
Beginning the conversation, council member Monica Davidson stated, “I’m confused because in our last meeting that we had with our Sustainability Commission we said to stop where we were. Not only did we not stop, we have a new proposal from Dark Sky.”
Davidson continued, “We have to be amenable in some way to our [IH-35] corridor, so that we are inviting commerce and industry. We are trying so hard to be this thing when we are not a rural city.”
Council member Evan Ture mentioned, “We weren’t in agreement with every line item [before], but it was also one of the only ways we could continue to regulate light. My goal is to address those really rough scenarios” with heavy light pollution.
Council member Matt Smith noted, “I was also in the camp of enough is enough, but it seems like [Dark Sky] has compromised pretty well here, so why not do the pilot?”
Mayor Lee Urbanovsky agreed with Smith, adding, “My big thing was the businesses and keeping the signs lit up after hours,” he stated, but felt the reduced requirements were sufficient to proceed with the pilot and put forth the motion to do so.
Buda City Council will meet next Tuesday, June 2.
