For a number of years, we have had a need for additional field hours for our school’s athletic teams. We have been investigating different alternatives for generating more field hours, and part of tonight’s agenda includes a review of some preliminary information on one option. We will continue to explore as many options as we can identify, and when we feel we have reviewed the benefits, impacts, and hard costs of each, we will move toward solutions. The Board will not rush to any conclusions. This will be a deliberate process, but we won’t take any options off of the table until we have a complete understanding of all of the options. This will take time. This Board has demonstrated a habit of being deliberate, and of looking out for the best interests of the school and the village. That spirit will continue to guide our deliberations.
With this context, the Board asked Athletic Director Karen Peterson to describe current conditions. She reported that in the current year there are 19 school teams requiring field space, with 415 participants. This represents a 54.3% increase over the past ten years. With the lack of additional land, this results in cramped field space that constrains practice time and game schedules. She ended by describing three potential solutions to the problem:
- Continue to look for off campus facilities to be utilized for practices and games
- Study the possibility of turf field expansion on Hayes Field as part of the flood mitigation process
- Installation of lights on Chambers Field.
The Board next heard a presentation from Russ Davidson, President of KG&D Architecture. He conducted a feasibility study of a concept including five poles located on the inside of the Chambers Field track -- three 70' poles on one side, two 80' poles on the other. His presentation described the general concept, the evolution of lighting technology, light spillage beyond the field, cost, and related issues. Board members raised several questions requiring further investigation. The KG&D presentation can be found here.
About 200 members of the public attended this session, with about thirty people offering diverse comments about the advisability of such an installation. Ten students, primarily in favor of installing lights, cited the need for better field conditions and the value of hosting popular community events. About twenty parents spoke, raising additional questions and expressing a range of opinion concerning impact on the neighbors and the character of the village, the need to explore and study other options, claims about health risks, and importance of expanding opportunities for student athletes. The meeting ended at 9:30 PM with assurances that follow-up questions would be pursued and further reports made to the public.
