Dist. 87 debates lights for Glenbard W. field

Residents who live near Glenbard West High School in Glen Ellyn told Glenbard School District 87 board members Monday that installing lights on a school playing field wouldn’t be the right fit for their neighborhood.

About 15 people expressed concern that the lights from Memorial Field would spill over to nearby homes and lead to increased noise and congestion.

The light installation, which will cost about $300,000, would allow more use of the field by students, district officials said. The field also would be used by the Glen Ellyn Park District and third parties, such as charitable groups.

Resident Anna Ball said Glenbard West is in the middle of a neighborhood that doesn’t have a wide space for athletics like other schools.

“Lights would permanently alter the look and feel of the village. I urge the board to think of the school as a larger part of the community,” Ball said.

Resident Gina Meyers said board members should delay a decision on light installation until all sports seasons are complete. She encouraged them to attend events at Memorial Field, and envision what traffic and parking would be like with 250 people converging on the field at one time.

“It’s a perfect storm,” Meyers said. “The more cars, pedestrians and students you have, you are asking for a significant safety hazard.”

Kirk Burger, who organized a previous meeting of residents, raised safety concerns, saying the lights could blind drivers coming down Crescent Boulevard.

“It’s changing the complexion of the neighborhood and downtown,” Burger said.

Board Vice President Tom Voltaggio said designing lighting for a playing field is difficult, even in an open area, and that lighting could indeed expand outward into the nearby area.

He said the “not in my backyard” attitude expressed by residents at the meeting isn’t evident only among those who live near Glenbard West, but also throughout the entire community.

“We have difficult soul searching to do with how we come to grips with this as a district,” Voltaggio said. “The sense of the community is overwhelming that this is something they do not want pursued.”

Chris McClain, assistant superintendent for business services, said lights typically would be on from a half-hour before dusk until about 9 p.m.

During the school year, lights could be on for a minimum of two hours per day, or five hours per day during the darkest week of the school year.

Without the lights, students would have to be off field at 5 p.m. on an average September day, McClain said.

He noted that residents near Glenbard North complained about lights at the football field there, but the district was able to modify the glare emitted.

Further discussion on the proposal is expect at the board’s next meeting Feb. 22. A vote could be taken, or further delayed, to approve a variance application for the lighting installations.

The village’s plan commission and village board would have the final say.