VRCC
POB 15218
Seattle, WA 98115-0218
PARK LIGHTING
VIEW RIDGE COMMUNITY CLUB, INC
For the Community and By the Community
PO Box 15218, Seattle, Washington 98115-0218
April 22, 2000
Judy Nicastro
Chair, Land Use Committee
Seattle City Council
Municipal Building
600 4th Avenue, #1100
Seattle, WA 98104-1876
Re: Outdoor Lighting Height Restriction
Dear Councilmember Nicastro,
As President of the View Ridge Community Club, I have been directed by our Board of Trustees to write to you to voice our opposition to the Department of Design Construction and Land Use proposal to the Seattle City Council to amend the existing Seattle Public School lighting code. An ordinance that allows up to 100-foot sports lights of any type, without site-by-site consideration of impacts or hours of usage, and without a process of checks and balances in the form of site-specific public review, has no place in Seattle Municipal Code.
The DCLU's proposed ordinance change will only be fair if it is limited in scope. Please amend the proposed ordinance to conditional use only permits and only for the most advanced type of sports lighting. The current plans call for an inefficient design referred to as full cutoff shoebox lighting.
In addition, please make sure this ordinance includes performance criteria to protect the character of Seattle's residential neighborhoods. These performance criteria should prevent light trespass, destruction of aesthetic views, and disruptive changes in the after-dusk character of our residential neighborhoods. To do this effectively, this code needs to take the existing lighting conditions, unique character and terrain of each neighborhood into account on a site-by site basis. Even the best-aimed, full cutoff lights create light trespass into the homes of residents at other fields, especially when houses are close to fields. We do not want cell towers or 100-foot sports field light poles in our neighborhoods. There are retired, school-aged, and working residents in our neighborhood whose early evening bedtimes will be disrupted by light trespass and noise from after-dusk sports-related activities. Other neighbors depend on quiet evening time for rejuvenation before another day of work.
We urge you to put fairness back into this proposal. Please amend this proposed code change to a conditional use only proposal that includes performance criteria to protect the residential character of Seattle's neighborhoods. In addition, we feel that if the variance is passed it will open the door to allowing the Parks Department to also install 100ft lighting poles in city athletic facilities. This would impact the neighborhoods in most of the residential areas of our city, not just the High School areas.
Sincerely,
Bob Lucas
President, VRCC
Cc: Jim Compton, Richard Conlin, Jan Drago, Nick Licata, Richard McIver, Margaret Pageler, Peter Steinbrueck, Heidi Wills, Seattle Residents for Fair School Lighting