Lights at Memorial Field a bad idea

As longtime residents of our village, we would like to express our concern about

Glenbard High School District 87 plans to install 7-story light towers at Glenbard West in the heart of Glen Ellyn. We believe that the potential harm to the quality of life in the community is not an acceptable trade-off for the small percentage of students able to use night lighting for extracurricular activities at Memorial Park practice field.

Additionally, plans to lease the field to outside organizations increases use to three seasons a year, with lights and the accompanying noise continuing as late as 10 p.m. every night except Sunday. Given the proximity to private homes, Lake Ellyn, commuter trains and the historic downtown, this type of intrusive lighting, noise and traffic congestion would have a negative impact on the community.

Several years ago, the village spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to underground the unsightly utility poles along Crescent Boulevard in front of the school. The proposed 70-foot light towers, far above the 45 foot limit for buildings in the downtown, would completely undermine the beautification intent of that project.

With eleven variations needed to complete the plan, this is overdevelopment of a constricted area, which has one of the highest incidents of traffic accidents in town. Adding more distractions and congestion after dark would create an unacceptable safety hazard for students, drivers and pedestrians.

Students at Glenbard West are privileged to attend school in such a beautiful setting.

Nearby Duchon Field has been named one of the most idyllic places in the country to watch a Saturday afternoon football game, and the historic campus was recently recommended for landmark designation. We believe that light towers at Memorial Park along Crescent Boulevard would be an unsafe and unsightly addition to our beautiful village and should not be considered.

Vicky Hase

village president, 2005-2009

Joe Wark

village president, 1997-2001

Frank Wiedner

village president, 1969-1973