Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Westtown School hopes to light the night
Some residents opposed to lighting at ball fields
WESTTOWN >> Three dozen neighbors who have bitterly fought the planned installation of lighting at two Westtown School ball fields saw their planning commission vote unanimously to recommend to borough council to not allow the construction of 80-foot high sporting lights.
Council will ultimately take a yea or nea tally concerning the proposed lights at Oak Lane.
The commission also recommended more than 30 suggestions if council votes to allow lighting.
The nationally recognized Quaker school hopes to install two synthetic turf fields and light those fields until 10 p.m., 240 days per year. The fields would be used by the school only during the day and rented to local youth sporting associations at night.
Tori Jueds, head of school, said the turf fields will keep the nonprofit school athletically competitive “as we run this business.”
Five public meetings, and two meetings at the school, have been held over the past 10 months. Several people also visited a school now using the new-technology lights.
“This has been a long and winding road,” Jueds said, “Tuition does not cover our operating costs.”
Jueds said there will be no amplification, tournaments, football games, marching bands, traffic will be “manageable” and there will be no spill or glare from the new –technology lights.
The township ordinance allows for 20 nights of lights
per year, following Rustin High School’s plunge into the darkness, with night games.
“What business is it of the planning commission that we are asking questions about the finances of the school?” asked Chair Dick Pomerantz.
He then answered his own question, “nothing is out of bounds.”
Westtown sits on a 600acre campus, much of it is farmland and prime real estate for home builders. By right, the school property zoned AC, could build homes if they so desired. The school has the right to build synthetic turf fields but not to use lights for more than 20 nights.
Jueds said later in the four-hour meeting that lighting would “benefit the community and the school in the long run.”
John Embick is a volunteer at the school and abstained from voting, but agreed to discuss the issue.
“We need to support institutions like Westtown School,” he said. “If we want Westtown School to prosper, we have to accommodate reasonable requests.”
None of the neighbors, except one, agreed with Embick.
Brian Collins said he enjoys unobstructed views of the fields, appreciates the sunsets and enjoys the quiet darkness. He said that the traffic assessment is inadequate and daytime users often park on the grass.
Willie Gonzalez said he enjoys the peace and quiet.
“Westtown School: Your success is a benefit to all of us, but it cannot be at the expense of using our yards—it will remove the rural character of our community,” he said. “I want you to succeed, but it is too expensive for us in our daily lives.”
Neighbor Matt Bettner is opposed to the lights.
“Westtown School is asking us to sacrifice 240 nights a year … so they can profit by it,” Bettner said.
Jeanette Zarelli said that with lights neighbors will “have no peace. It provides no economic benefit to the township, it would only be a burden.”
Neighbor Bob York addressed the planning commission several times.
“Passing on the recommendation for Westtown School to have 200plus nights is throwing the neighbors under the bus,” York said.
Planning Commission Member Elaine Adler said she couldn’t support so many nights per year as did the other four voting members of the planning commission.
Pomerantz said the relationship between “the township and the school has seemed to operate as two solitudes.”
“The school has operated almost like an island unto itself and the township would have appeared to do little over the years to bridge the gap. When you have an institution that is first class and residents hold with such pride and esteem there’s got to be a better way.”
Westtown East Goshen Police Chief Brenda Bernot said police activity at the school might increase. She said that crashes, speeding, ambulance calls, thefts to vehicles, fights and sexual assaults might all increase.
Jueds said she does not agree with the chief’s findings.
“It’s speculation, I don’t expect anything of this sort,” she said.
The planning commission passed motion No. 3, which made recommendations to council if a vote to allow lights is affirmative.
The school and township attorneys discussed the very first item on a long list at length. The recommendation suggested the school and township consider establishing an agricultural conservation easement for some of the school property.
A suggestion that the school build a dog park was scratched as well as widening of Oak Lane to better accommodate emergency responders.
The conditions call for an annual permit application, a written traffic study and a look at the environmental impact.