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P&Z Rejects BOE Application for Temporary Field Lighting

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The Planning & Zoning Commission rejected the Municipal Improvement request and final site plan for temporary field lighting at Central Middle School (Richard Kaufman photo).

By Richard Kaufman
Sentinel Reporter

Last week, the Planning and Zoning Commission rejected the Board of Education’s application which called for the temporary installation of lighting at Central Middle School for Greenwich High School rugby practices in the spring of 2018.

With daylight dissipating heading into the late fall and winter months, the Greenwich Public School district has been trying to find ways to remedy the effects stemming from the implementation of later start times and dismissals at Greenwich High School.

The district planned on using temporary lighting this fall as well, but, in October, the Commission asked for more information and a photometric study, which delayed the process.

The plan presented to the Commission last Thursday proposed six, 4,000-watt light towers with four fixtures, each with two LED light sources, on each pole.

Residents who live near CMS spoke out against the proposal. Arthur Yee, a doctor living nearby on Coachlamp Lane, expressed concern about diesel fume exhaust from the generators used to power the lights and referenced several articles about the potential exposure risk.

“I know there are concerns about emissions,” said landscape architect, Ryan Chmielewski. “The emissions meet the most stringent regulations that are out there today.”

Katie Galbreath Nogaki, who lives 233 feet from the proposed field, also voiced concern over diesel fumes and compared the plan to the recent installation of floodlights on the perimeter of the CMS building.

“This has drastically changed and impacted our family,” she said, noting that her family has had to use blinds and drapes to prevent the intrusion of light.

Towards the end of the meeting, the district ultimately decided to ditch the diesel generator option in favor of electricity.

Chmielewski outlined a plan in which the diesel engine is removed from the generators and a circuit board is installed. Wires would then run underground to a power source to prevent tripping hazards.

However, commissioner Nick Macri questioned the electrical approach and the installation of underground wires.

“That seems pretty permanent for a temporary light solution,” he said.

The proposal listed March to early June as the dates when the field and lights would be used. However, Macri noted that while sunset on March 1 begins at 5:46 p.m., with daylight savings time scheduled for March 11, the sunset on March 12 will occur at 6:57 p.m.

“I’m looking at a spring installation that might not even be needed,” Macri said. “If we put this in, come the first of April, you wouldn’t even need [the lights] anymore.”

The Commission later voted unanimously to reject the proposal.

The issue of field lighting has been a hot-button item for the school district and new superintendent, Dr. Jill Gildea.

Recently, the Board of Education voted to initiate litigation to modify an existing 2003 court order regarding the usage of lights at Cardinal Stadium.

However, no litigation can occur in this matter unless and until the Board of Selectmen does the same.

The Board of Estimate and Taxation will also be involved in the process, but will not act until it has a clear signal from the other boards to proceed.

In October, Gildea spoke at the Planning and Zoning meeting and said that Greenwich, an active and vibrant community, needs to galvanize around the issue of field lighting.

“I think we need to come together as a community and solve these issues. I think we have to stop being polarized over it. We do have the very real concern in front of us today, to me and to our kids, which is student safety, and you have to get them onto some lit fields,” she said.

“I’m not happy with the situation for the kids. I would feel better going to bed at night knowing we are creating safe practice experiences for our children.”

Gildea has said that the district will continue to brainstorm temporary fixes while trying to figure out long-term solutions.

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