Design review panel approves outdoor lighting amendment, allows darker downlit alternative
October 06, 2025 | Montpelier City, Washington County, Vermont
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The Montpelier Design Review Committee on Oct. 6 approved an amendment to the zoning permit for 137 Berry Street that adds fully shielded exterior lights and permits an alternate, dark-colored downlit LED fixture.
The amendment, presented by Greg Montgomery, architect for Good Samaritan Haven, covers lighting added to points of ingress and egress, including four recessed ceiling fixtures on the main porch, one replacement fixture by the front door, one at a back door, and three ceiling-mounted recessed lights on both the first and second floors of the east porch to meet egress illumination requirements. Montgomery said the updates were prompted when a means of egress was moved to an exterior route and the project team realized additional exterior illumination was needed.
The committee’s review focused on visual compatibility with the building’s historic character and dark-sky considerations. Meredith Crandall, planning staff, explained that the Design Review District standards require new fixtures to be compatible with the building and neighborhood and noted that fully shielded, down-facing fixtures are preferred. Committee member Eric Gilbertson said he supported the alternate but “would insist that the fixtures be a dark color.”
The committee approved the amendment with a recommendation (to be placed as a permit condition) that fixtures be a dark finish — dark bronze or black — and accepted an alternate fixture option described as a downlit LED in a dark color. Montgomery said the alternate “gives you a wider spread, and, again, without any additional light above the horizontal.”
Crandall told the applicant that because the lighting change is an amendment, the administrative action will trigger a separate 15-day appeal period after the city issues the permit. She also said she will scan and email the signed recommendation form and that a signature will be required before the permit is issued.
Montgomery noted schedule and durability concerns, saying the project team is “very up against the winter” and that durability is “paramount” for the work needed before cold weather. The committee did not require a specific manufacturer or model; it left the choice of the alternate fixture as an option while placing a color and shielding recommendation on the permit.
The discussion included safety-focused placements — porch ceiling lights for the ADA ramp and entrance, and replacement of the single existing fixture by the main door — and an emphasis on fixtures that avoid light spill above the horizontal to meet zoning limits on lumen output. The application passed on a unanimous vote of committee members present.
The amendment, presented by Greg Montgomery, architect for Good Samaritan Haven, covers lighting added to points of ingress and egress, including four recessed ceiling fixtures on the main porch, one replacement fixture by the front door, one at a back door, and three ceiling-mounted recessed lights on both the first and second floors of the east porch to meet egress illumination requirements. Montgomery said the updates were prompted when a means of egress was moved to an exterior route and the project team realized additional exterior illumination was needed.
The committee’s review focused on visual compatibility with the building’s historic character and dark-sky considerations. Meredith Crandall, planning staff, explained that the Design Review District standards require new fixtures to be compatible with the building and neighborhood and noted that fully shielded, down-facing fixtures are preferred. Committee member Eric Gilbertson said he supported the alternate but “would insist that the fixtures be a dark color.”
The committee approved the amendment with a recommendation (to be placed as a permit condition) that fixtures be a dark finish — dark bronze or black — and accepted an alternate fixture option described as a downlit LED in a dark color. Montgomery said the alternate “gives you a wider spread, and, again, without any additional light above the horizontal.”
Crandall told the applicant that because the lighting change is an amendment, the administrative action will trigger a separate 15-day appeal period after the city issues the permit. She also said she will scan and email the signed recommendation form and that a signature will be required before the permit is issued.
Montgomery noted schedule and durability concerns, saying the project team is “very up against the winter” and that durability is “paramount” for the work needed before cold weather. The committee did not require a specific manufacturer or model; it left the choice of the alternate fixture as an option while placing a color and shielding recommendation on the permit.
The discussion included safety-focused placements — porch ceiling lights for the ADA ramp and entrance, and replacement of the single existing fixture by the main door — and an emphasis on fixtures that avoid light spill above the horizontal to meet zoning limits on lumen output. The application passed on a unanimous vote of committee members present.
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