Cottonwood Shores making bid for Dark Sky designation with ordinance updates

The city of Cottonwood Shores is trying to bring its Dark Sky Lighting ordinance into full alignment with DarkSky International guidelines, four years after the ordinance was adopted in 2021 to cut down on light pollution and enhance the night sky.

While the ordinance remains active and enforceable, Cottonwood Shores has not yet received official DarkSky recognition because the city’s regulations do not fully meet standards. Only seven communities in Texas are official Dark Sky Communities, including Cottonwood Shores’ neighbor, Horseshoe Bay, which received the honor in 2015.

A Dark Sky Community is a town or city recognized for minimizing light pollution through responsible lighting and public education to protect the night sky. The main way to become compliant is by adopting and e