Missoula City Council Changes Business Lighting Ordinance

Missoula City Council changed another ordinance this week that will restrict the type of lighting businesses can use. City Council Woman Michelle Cares explains.

“The main change is in regard to neon lighting and what is allowed,” said Cares. "The change is requiring shielding neon lighting which limits the number of neon light bars you can have on a building.”

Cares says she brought forth this ordinance change primarily at the request of a city employee and says she has heard many complaints from the community about the lights on a Verizon store downtown, however, that particular store can keep the lights it has after the ordinance.

“Buildings that are now out of compliance are now grandfathered in,” Cares said. “Existing businesses with neon that is no longer allowed wouldn’t be required to do anything different unless they were to have a remodel or do something big that triggered a review of their building plan. Then they may have to come into compliance.”

Cares says there were other updates in the lighting ordinance, which now require businesses to keep their lighting in “good, working order.”