Archives > Southlake Times > News
Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
RSS
Share
P&Z recommends denial of lights at Carroll Senior High
By Chris Roark, croark@starlocalnews.com
Originally published Jan. 4
The baseball and softball fields at Carroll Senior High School have gone without lights for 22 years.
And for now, the majority of the Southlake Planning and Zoning Commission want to keep it that way.
The Southlake City Council is expected to see the item Jan. 15. Because this isn't a zoning issue, the council does not need a supermajority vote to overturn the commission's recommendation.
CISD requested variances for lighting intensity, horizontal and vertical light spillover to an adjacent residence, lumination and type of lighting.
Among the variances requested was to allow a maximum of 60 foot candles of light at both fields. The ordinance only allows 20 foot candles. The vertical spillover requirement is 0.5 foot candles, and CISD was requesting a maximum of 5.84 foot candles at the baseball field. The ordinance allows for high-pressure sodium LED lighting, and the district was requesting a metal Halide type of lighting.
“We’re still exceeding the spillover limit,” Springer said. “It just seems like a deal breaker to go that far out in a residential area.”
Parish acknowledged that the district proposed the minimum amount of lighting University Interscholastic League (UIL) allows for safety.
“CISD has come forward with enough information from a professional organization to say, ‘Here is the minimum of what we need to do this, and we can’t do this with the current situation,’” Parish said.
Dr. Derek Citty, assistant superintendent of administrative services for CISD, detailed the district’s plans for the lights, which would be paid for with 2006 bond money. The proposal was for eight lights at the baseball field, including two 70-foot lights that are 65 feet away from the easternmost property line. At the softball field, there would be six lights, including a 60-foot-tall light 83 feet away from the easternmost property line and another one 145 feet away from the southernmost property line.
Citty said the lights would be used for CISD games only with a maximum of 25 nights a year where they would be turned on. That factors in 16 total games, two practices and possible postseason games.
Residents were split on their opinions. Six residents spoke in favor of the lights, and 24 noted support without speaking. Nine residents spoke in opposition with 21 noting opposition without speaking.
Those who opposed the lights said the district previously promised nearby neighborhoods -- Stone Lake and Park Place – that the fields would never have lights.
Citty said the city, district and the two HOAs have found no record of any such promise being made.
Residents also questioned what would happen if things change and the lights are used more often than what is being proposed.
“Who will hold CISD accountable,” said Jinx Howell, a resident of Park Place. “What happens when CISD rents the fields out to pay for the lights?”
One resident pointed to the city’s lighting ordinance, saying lights at the fields would violate the ordinance.
Another resident noted potential dangers of having the light poles near residences in case of a tornado.
Those in support said the lights are long overdue.
“The district has recognized that a single facility inadequacy shouldn’t be a cause for baseball players to miss class for early games, and it shouldn’t be a reason to ship softball players across town to a city field for home games,” said resident Jamie Wimberly.
Others argued that it’s unsafe to send the players to locations off campus.
Citty told the commission that there were several other options CISD looked at but that there were problems with each of them.
He said one option would be to install lights at Carroll High School, but that would cost between $1 million and $1.7 million to upgrade the field to the varsity level. He said that option would also cause students to have to travel from the senior high school to the fields, and he said there would be a one-year delay with this option.
Citty said having the baseball field at Bicentennial Park and the softball field at Bob Jones Park would bring with it a lot of unknown costs, as well as questionable impact to the maintenance and operations budget. He said there would still be travel issues, and he said the girls would have to travel farther to their field than the boys would.
“Then you’re running into Title IX issues,” Citty said.
Citty said putting both fields at Bicentennial Park would again lead to travel problems.
Another option was to purchase property near Dragon Stadium. But Citty said the property purchase and the field construction could run about $4.3 million, plus there would be a delay as well as possible budget issues.
Citty said the board has agreed to various plans to minimize the impact if the variances are approved.
He said CISD will request a waiver for 7 p.m. to be the latest start time for games.
Another plan is to engage in a landscape architect for further buffering options.
The following are comments from the readers.
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
You must register with a valid email to post comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Registered users sign in here:
Become a Registered User
- Return to: News «
- Home «
- Top of Page ^
