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Alexandria City Council adopts night illumination ordinance

Alexandria City Council adopts night illumination ordinance

Rule Changes Alexandria, VA local

The council closed the public hearing and adopted Ordinance No. 5652, amending the city's night illumination rules.

October 17th, 2026: Public hearing and final vote scheduled on night illumination ordinance

Overview

Updated Oct 25

Alexandria's City Council adopted Ordinance No. 5652 on October 17, 2026, amending Section 13-1-3 of the city code, which governs outdoor lighting on commercial and residential property. The vote came at the end of a public hearing that began at 9:30 a.m. at the Del Pepper Community Resource Center.

The council also took up lighting of a different kind that morning, voting unanimously and without discussion to let St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School install eight 85-foot field lights and new athletic buildings at its Kelleher and Moss fields. The school says it holds no illuminated field events after 6:30 p.m. The action docket is a staff follow-up summary; approved minutes are the official record.

Why it matters

Two votes in one morning decide how much light private property in Alexandria can cast after dark.

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Key Indicators

5652
Ordinance number adopted
The ordinance amending Section 13-1-3 on night illumination
13-1-3
Ordinance section amended
The night illumination section of Alexandria's city code
8
Field lights approved
85-foot lights at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School, approved in a separate vote the same morning

Voices

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People Involved

Alyia Gaskins
Alyia Gaskins
Mayor of Alexandria, Virginia
Presided over the October 17 public hearing at which the council adopted Ordinance No. 5652

Organizations Involved

Alexandria City Council
Alexandria City Council
Municipal legislative body
Adopted Ordinance No. 5652 on October 17 and, in a separate vote that morning, approved field lights at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School

Adopted Ordinance No. 5652 on October 17 and separately approved field lights at a private school

Timeline

4 events Latest: October 17th, 2026 · 4 weeks ago
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  1. Public hearing and final vote scheduled on night illumination ordinance

    Latest Hearing

    The council was scheduled to hear public comment and vote on final passage of the amended Section 13-1-3, starting at 9:30 a.m. at the Del Pepper Community Resource Center, 4850 Mark Center Drive.

  2. Council adopts night illumination ordinance, No. 5652

    Decision

    The council closed the public hearing and adopted the ordinance amending Section 13-1-3 on night illumination for commercial and residential properties, according to the meeting's action docket.

  3. Council approves field lights and athletic expansion at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School

    Decision

    In a separate item at the same meeting, the council voted unanimously and without discussion to allow eight 85-foot field lights, new bleachers, a concessions building with bathrooms and a covered pavilion at the private school's Kelleher and Moss fields. The school says it currently holds no illuminated field events after 6:30 p.m.

  4. City Council publishes agenda listing night illumination ordinance

    Agenda

    The published agenda schedules a public hearing, second reading, and final passage of the ordinance for October 17.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

1988

International Dark-Sky Association founded (1988)

Astronomers David Crawford and Tim Hunter founded the International Dark-Sky Association to address light pollution, the excessive or misdirected outdoor lighting that washes out the night sky and disrupts ecosystems.

Then

The group grew into the leading advocate for outdoor lighting regulation, pushing cities to adopt lighting rules.

Now

It created a certification program for dark-sky places and made light pollution a recognized policy issue.

Why this matters now

Alexandria's night illumination ordinance sits in the same policy area — regulating outdoor lighting on private property to limit its effects.

2006

First International Dark Sky Park designated (2006)

Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah became the first International Dark Sky Park, a designation recognizing places that preserve dark skies through lighting controls.

Then

The designation drew attention to the value of dark skies and the role of lighting rules in protecting them.

Now

Hundreds of parks and communities have since earned dark-sky designations, spreading the model of lighting regulation.

Why this matters now

The designation model shows how lighting rules can be used to achieve specific goals, the same mechanism Alexandria's ordinance would use.

Sources

(4)
Alexandria Brief The Zebra Press City of Alexandria Legistar ALXnow