Palo Alto considering new ‘dark sky' ordinance

Palo Alto is one step closer to "going dark."

The Palo Alto City Council unanimously agreed on Monday to continue fine tuning plans for a "dark sky" law. It would enforce a nighttime light curfew to protect wildlife from light pollution.

The proposed curfew would apply to new buildings and fixtures and would be 10 p.m. or two hours after the close of business or when people are no longer present in exterior areas, whichever is later.

Some city leaders hope to go further and apply a 10 p.m. curfew to all outdoor lights in the city.

Opponents say the ordinance would be difficult to enforce and that it should only be enacted in parts of the city with an abundance of wildlife.