By John Schwing

WESTPORT — Will new technology light the way for more Fields of Dreams for Westport’s young athletes?

A court-brokered settlement of the years-long battle over installing permanent lights at the Staples High School stadium will expire soon, prompting officials to explore new regulations to expand playing time at the town’s athletic fields — particularly for girls sports.

The effort is being led by Planning and Zoning Commission member Michael Cammeyer, who reported on initial steps of a field lighting initiative to the recent meeting of the P&Z’s Zoning Regulation Revision Sustainability Subcommittee.

Officials hope to expand playing time available on the town’s fields for school and youth leagues, possibly by using lighting to increase the hours and facilities available for team games and practices. 

To do that, the panel is considering regulations that reflect recent innovations in lighting, which Cammeyer said have far less illumination “splash” beyond property lines than older lights and are more energy efficient.

P&Z Chairwoman Danielle Dobin said it’s an opportune time to explore zoning issues related to field use, particularly with imminent expiration of the 2011 stipulated court judgment that settled the lawsuit filed by neighbors trying to block installation of permanent lighting at the Staples High stadium.

Under that highly detailed agreement, which is set to expire in December, the number and kinds of nighttime events allowed to take place under the lights at Staples are strictly limited. Also restricted are the hours and days when the stadium lights can be turned on and switched off. (The complete text of that settlement is at the end of this article.)

An “unintended” consequence of that agreement, Dobin said, has been to limit the use of lighting on other athletic fields, particularly those used by girls’ teams. “We on the commission obviously take very seriously ensuring that there is equal access to the fields for our female athletes, as our Board of Ed and school administration do,” Dobin said.

Any plans to move forward with regulations permitting new and additional lighting for the town’s playing fields, she added, would have to be done with “great sensitivity” toward neighbors.

Cammeyer told the meeting he has met with the school district’s facilities supervisor and athletic director to review the current status of the town’s athletic fields. They also compiled data on facilities that other schools in the region’s athletic conference have for comparison with Westport’s fields.

Residents of High Point Road and Woody Lane, abutting the Staples campus, have been contacted, he said, as a starting point to discuss potential changes following expiration of the court settlement. A meeting will be planned with neighbors to get feedback on any preliminary proposals, he added.

Cammeyer also has checked how new LED field lighting is being used in other nearby communities, and said he was told those installations, which are covered, don’t spread light more than five to 10 feet from a field. He cited the field at West Rocks Middle School in Norwalk as an example.

He also plans to get input from the Parks and Recreation Department, which he said also is a “stakeholder” in managing the town’s athletic fields.

Commission member Paul Lebowitz, in support of the initiative, said a key to moving forward is circulating information about the lighting proposal and new technologies to people most affected by any changes.

Lee Goldstein, the Board of Education chairwoman, joined the meeting to advocate for the initiative as well.

Thanking Cammeyer for leading the study, Goldstein said she has heard from athletes’ parents “who have been asking for this for so long, and they’ve given up all hope.

“The whole idea of equity in sports between the boys and girls is something we’re looking at in very broad ways,” she added. “This is one really important aspect of it, so we’re very appreciative.”

John Schwing, the Westport Journal consulting editor, has held senior editorial and writing posts at southwestern Connecticut media outlets for four decades. Learn more about us here.

The complete 2011 “Stipulation and Settlement Agreement” on the challenge to the Planning and Zoning Commission’s adoption of lighting regulations in 2009 follows: