If lights had a volume switch, the Fayetteville City Council just said, “Turn it down.”

There was no discussion needed June 20 for the council to vote unanimously to amend the lighting ordinance that prohibits the use of “super-bright” LED strip lighting on business roofs and windows.

Making the case for the amendment, Fayetteville Community Development Director Brian Wismer in April cited “the growing trend of using LED lights, typically in the form of channel strips or ropes, to draw attention to commercial buildings by mounting them around windows and roof lines. Sometimes referred to as ‘ultra-bright’ or ‘super-bright’ LEDs, these lights are in sharp contrast to the aesthetically pleasing architectural and landscape lighting that many Fayetteville businesses currently utilize.”

Wismer noted examples of LED lighting that contribute to the visual clutter that Fayetteville has historically attempted to avoid.

Wismer in a May 25 letter said the city attorney confirmed that the prohibition for such lighting already exists and that a permanent amendment would serve to clarify the existing ordinance.

Wismer in the letter also noted large commercial property owners and managers expressed support for the amendment, as did the overwhelming number of community poll participants providing responses on the city’s Facebook page.