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Thirteen Dripping Springs area businesses have earned “Be a Star” awards for their efforts in preserving the city’s dark sky initiative.
Balancing the need to light their properties while mitigating light pollution, these businesses have demonstrated that development and environmental stewardship can go hand in hand.
The awards were presented by Loren Steffy, on behalf of the Hays County Friends of the Night Sky, at the Dripping Springs City Council meeting on Oct. 1.
The Be a Star award recognizes landowners who contribute to conservation efforts by protecting the night sky. Their properties were nominated for the award by complying with the criteria and for setting an example of adherence to the City of Dripping Springs lighting ordinance.
“Dripping Springs, as you probably know, is an internationally recognized Dark Sky City,” Steffy said. “That’s something that takes a lot of work to achieve, and it’s also something that takes a lot of work to maintain.”
Be a Star award recipients receive a 9-by-12inch decal to display at their businesses, showing their commitment to maintaining dark skies in the community.
“This is a way to recognize businesses and property owners that take special steps to reduce light pollution,” Steffy said. “You may not think of light as a pollutant, but increasingly, in areas with significant development, that’s what happens. Central Texas is greatly affected by this.”
The Be a Star Awards program is administered by the International Dark-Sky Association Texas Chapter and the Texas Night Sky Festival, in partnership with the Hays County Friends of the Night Sky.
This year’s Be a Star recipients are:
• Big Sky Ranch Amenity Center
• Drip Dental
• Fairlane
• Heritage
• Ledgestone Dental Care
• MI Model Home
• Meritage Model Home
• Parten Ranch Amenity Center
• Tri Point Model Home
• Sawyer Crossing
• H Tea O
• Natkhat Flavors
• Sawyer Crossing 7
A Business that could have been a star Ironically, at the same Oct. 1 meeting, Amer Massood, owner of the Citgo gas station on Highway 290 just across from city hall, learned almost too late how serious the City is about its lighting ordinance.
Massoud had come to the City council meeting to plead for more time to comply with the city’s lighting and sign ordinances. Massood’s property was cited for violations after a storm damaged his sign earlier this year. City staff was recommending the city council take action to revoke Mr. Massood’s sign use permit.
Massood, who purchased the business in May, told the council he was unaware of the city’s expectations for his property’s signage and lighting. City officials said he had failed to respond in time to bring the property into compliance.
Mayor Bill Foulds suggested Massood look to the Be a Star award recipients as examples of how businesses can invest in reducing light pollution. After an hour of discussion, the council tabled a decision to revoke Massood’s sign use permit and granted him 60 days to correct the violations or risk losing his sign permit, which had been grandfathered in 2012.
Dripping Springs became the first city in Texas to be designated as an International Dark Sky Community in 2014, and only the sixth in the world. Since then, the city’s residents and businesses have worked to maintain that status.
The International Dark-Sky Association and the Illuminating Engineering Society have developed five principles for responsible outdoor lighting: Every light should have a clear purpose.
Light should be directed only where it is needed.
Light should be no brighter than necessary.
Light should be turned on only when needed.
Use warmer color lights rated under 3,000 Kelvin when possible.
In addition and to prevent interior lighting from contributing to light pollution, property owners can: Draw blinds or curtains to reduce light spill; Turn off interior lights when not in use, especially on higher floors; Use task lighting for workers during hours of darkness; and Reduce atrium lighting when possible.
For more information on the Be a Star program, visit the city’s website at cityofdrippingsprings. com.
