Town officials, tourism leaders, and residents are weighing the path toward certifying Estes Park as an International DarkSky Community, a move that could boost tourism and environmental stewardship but also raises questions about costs, enforcement, and local regulations.
Visit Estes Park organized a community information session and a roundtable discussion for Town and County staff to learn more and ask technical questions about what becoming a Dark Sky-certified community would entail. The meetings were held on Wednesday, April 22, at the Estes Park Memorial Observatory.
Morning session encourages residential participation
It was clear from the beginning of the one-hour morning session with about 30 people that the room was filled with Dark Sky enthusiasts. And implementing a campaign to encourage others to see the value in joining the effort to expand the Dark Sky program soon became the mantra.
Educating the public about the merits of joining the dark sky movement was a key takeaway, as attendees shared information and opinions on how to reach businesses and individuals to change personal and business outdoor lighting sources for ecological and economic reasons.
“There are studies linking our exposure to artificial light at night harms your health, contributing to obesity, depression, sleep disorders, diabetes, breast cancer, your circadian rhythms and melatonin, which really impacts your sleep pattern,” said County Commissioner Jody Shadduck-McNally, who moderated the conversation.
If Estes Park Mayor Gary Hall prevails, the Town Board will officially begin promoting dark sky principles through strategic planning and educating the public about the town’s involvement in developing dark sky standards for the community, beginning with the 2027 strategic plan, currently in development.
“At the time of the new development plan, we’ll want to have town releases, town email blasts, and various other articles that are helping folks to understand,” Hall told the audience.
“I see an education curve starting up a little slowly here this year, but in the big time in 2027,” he said.
In addition to ecological rationales, Shadduck-McNally noted the economic benefits of being recognized as a dark sky community.
“Conservation matters because tourism and economic development are really important for us. We know that non-local tourists will spend $5.8 billion over the next 10 years in the Colorado Plateau” traveling to dark sky locations, Shadduck-McNally said.
Although Rocky Mountain National Park is not an International Dark Sky Certified Park, Danielle York, Rocky’s lead night sky ranger who specializes in summer ranger-led astronomy programs, said the Park is supportive of the Town and County exploring certification.
RMNP, which spans more than 265,800 acres over 415 square miles, provides an abundance of stargazing opportunities and offers a series of five Friday night programs during the summer for visitors and residents beginning June 5, said York.
Participants at the community meeting discussed ways to achieve dark-sky compliance, including replacing existing outdoor lighting with motion-sensor fixtures, directing lights downward rather than upward, and requiring dark-sky-compliant lighting for all new construction and remodeling projects that require a building permit.
Incentivizing compliance involves a mix of financial rewards such as grants, rebates, and discounts, community education, regulatory support, and public recognition.
Afternoon session for Town and County staff on logistics and technical details
Mayor Hall opened the afternoon roundtable discussion by emphasizing collaboration among municipal staff, community stakeholders and regional partners, calling the effort an opportunity to shape the town’s future while balancing practical concerns.
“We’ve got good representation from the town,” Hall said, noting the presence of planning, public works and administrative staff tasked with evaluating how such a designation would affect local codes and operations.
Dana Paiement of Visit Estes Park said interest in dark-sky initiatives is already strong among visitors.
“Anything we do about dark sky, there’s more engagement than anything else,” Paiement said. “People are fascinated… there are people who want to come to a property that has dark-sky lighting because they want to see the stars.”
Paiement said the tourism organization is exploring education campaigns, events and potential incentives to encourage businesses — particularly hotels — to adopt lighting practices that preserve nighttime visibility.
What certification requires
Michael Rymer, community program manager with DarkSky International, outlined the certification process, which began in 2001 and now includes hundreds of designated communities, parks, and reserves worldwide.
Rymer said the program is voluntary and relies on local governments to adopt and enforce lighting policies rather than imposing rules directly.
“We’re not a regulatory body,” Rymer said. “We want to know that the town is committed to using responsible lighting, but enforcement is up to you.”
Key requirements for certification typically include:
- Fully shielded outdoor lighting to reduce glare and skyglow
- Limits on brightness and total light output
- Warmer color temperatures (generally 3,000 Kelvin or lower)
- Use of timers, dimmers and lighting curfews
- Policies addressing illuminated signage and outdoor sports lighting
Rymer said the goal extends beyond astronomy. “We care about energy efficiency, cost savings, safety, and wildlife,” he said. “Dark sky is part of it, but it’s not the only reason.”
Benefits — and challenges
Supporters pointed to potential economic and environmental gains, including reduced energy use and growing “astrotourism,” as more travelers seek destinations with clear night skies.
But town officials raised concerns about how such policies would be implemented.
Steve Careccia, director of community development, said updating local lighting codes could create additional burdens for staff and property owners.
“Now we have three or four pages of lighting ordinance requirements,” Careccia said. “Who’s reviewing those? Who’s enforcing those? We have one code enforcement officer.”
Jason Damweber, deputy town administrator, also noted potential resistance from residents, particularly if requirements mandate changes to existing lighting.
“We’ve already required new developments to meet dark-sky standards,” Damweber said.
Rymer acknowledged those challenges, especially around older fixtures and the cost of upgrades, and said his organization is moving away from rigid timelines requiring communities to replace all lighting within a set period.
Sticking point: illuminated signs
One of the most contentious issues discussed was illuminated signage, particularly requirements that signs be turned off when businesses are closed.
Rymer said such provisions can be a “showstopper” in some communities, especially where business owners rely on visibility for overnight traffic.
Local officials noted exceptions are needed for 24-hour operations such as hotels, gas stations and hospitals.
Participants also discussed whether certification should include only the town or extend to the broader Estes Valley, which spans multiple jurisdictions, including unincorporated Larimer County.
Rymer said DarkSky International encourages collaboration but leaves boundary decisions to local leaders. “We want to see partnerships,” he said. “But we’re not going to tell you how to define your community.”
The two-hour discussion ended without any formal decision, but officials indicated more community meetings and technical reviews are likely before any proposal advances.
Hall framed the effort as a long-term process. “As long as the vision is strong, we’ll keep working toward it,” he said.
This story is one in a series on the Dark Sky movement and the effort by Visit Estes Park to seek DarkSky International certification for the Estes Valley. Other stories in this series include Dark Skies over Estes: Part I, The History of the Dark Sky Movement: Part II, Dark Skies over Estes and beyond: Part III, and Dark Sky Measurement Event Held in Estes Last Week: Part IV.
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