By Ken Valenti

WESTPORT–The night game lights for two athletic fields have been approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z), with conditions, but it is likely to take some time before they’re erected on 70-foot poles.

Now the fundraising begins. Director of Parks and Recreation Director Erik Barbieri said funding for the lights will come from private sources – youth groups in town.

The P&Z voted Monday night to approve the lights at Wakeman B Field at 70 North Ave. and  P.J. Romano Field, 170 Riverside Ave. Games played under the lights must end by 9 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays – a tighter restriction than a previous proposal that would have allowed weekend games to continue until 10 p.m. No use of the lights will be permitted on Sundays.

Following the games, the lights may remain on, but dimmed, for another half hour to allow people to leave.

At the Wakeman B Field at Staples High School, Bedford Middle School and Wakeman Town Farm, the approval is conditioned on enhancing lighting along the roads and sidewalks near the fields “to improve pedestrian safety for individuals walking to and from their vehicles.” That work would be a town capital project and must be completed before the new field lights are turned on, Barbieri said. He expects it to take at least a year.

“There are a lot of meetings that have to happen” before that town’s project is planned and approved, he said. 

The conditions in the approval dictate that the lights will be directed downward and “fully shielded” to light up the playing field while minimizing spillover onto neighboring homes.

The conditions also tightened permissions for noise, ruling that amplified music preceding Staples High School games must stop when the games start, rather than continuing until halftime as previously proposed. No amplified sound, public address systems, or amplified music is allowed during practices or for other permitted user groups. Sound will be limited to coach instruction, whistle use, and “normal player communication,” the approval says.

The vote followed almost two years of discussions, with some residents fearing disruption from the lights and noise. 

“The proposed lights will potentially bring cheering crowds, piercing whistles, and chirping car alarms into neighboring homes until 9:30 or 10:30 p.m.,” Ian Warburg and Valerie Seiling Jacobs, co-chairs of Save Westport Now, wrote to the P&Z on Oct. 17. “Restrictions on music and bullhorns will not eliminate these disturbances, and compliance with technical lighting standards will not necessarily prevent intrusive illumination.”

The P&Z approved both fields’ plans with 4-1 votes. Commissioner Michael Calise cast the “no” votes, arguing that the conditions did not include enough controls on how the lights are used and the number of nights they can be turned on.

“We’ve had nobody come forward and say, ‘I love the lights, I can’t wait till they come on. I can’t wait to hear the noise.’” Calise said. “I just think it needs a little work.”

Commission Chairman Paul Lebowitz said, with Calise’s comments in the commission’s record, the concerns can be addressed later if problems arise.

“I think we may want to revisit some of those remarks, so that we can make sure that what Mr. Calise is talking about is something that we can take up,” he said. “Because remember, commissioners, we can always strengthen this down the road. We can always add to it, or change it.”

Ken Valenti

^{_{A career journalist and lifelong resident of the New York City region, Ken Valenti has enjoyed decades of reporting local, regional and national news in New York and Connecticut. Topics of special interest are development, the environment, Long Island Sound and transportation. When not reporting, he’s always on the lookout for the perfect coffee shop or used book sale.}}