Proposal For New Stadium Lighting, Speakers At San Marin H.S. Under Debate

MARIN COUNTY, CA – The Novato Unified School District this evening will continue the discussion of a controversial proposal to install lights at the San Marin High School stadium.

The district's trustees will consider certification of a 1,400-page final Environmental Impact Report that includes comments on the proposal to install two sets of poles -- the largest 80 feet high -- at the stadium at the high school at 15 San Marin Drive in Novato.

The proposal also calls for improving an existing public address system by mounting speakers on 18 poles that are 30 feet high. There would be 152 evenings and nights when the lights would be on at the stadium no later than 9:30 p.m., according to the proposal.

The Coalition to Save San Marin objects to what it considers noise and light pollution in the high school's neighborhood. The coalition says the stadium lights will alter the character of northwest Novato.

"NUSD's proposal pushes children to practice at night instead of spending time with their families and doing homework. We believe this will harm kids physically & academically by causing sleep loss and reducing
homework time," the coalition states on its website.

The coalition urges the school district to develop daytime fields where all children, not just children on school teams, can play.

"This is not about a school event, this is about a community event. We're just fighting a radical change in our neighborhood use. We want a community-based solution," the coalition's chair Mike Joly said.

Joly said California Government Code 53094 exempts public school districts from county or city zoning codes and civic overview, and Marin Catholic High School in Greenbrae was denied an application for lighting at
its stadium.

Joly said the coalition believes the lighted stadium at the College of Marin's Indian Valley campus in Novato is a better venue for night games and events.

"Public schools have a huge advantage. They can drive local neighborhoods to their knees," he said.

"It's too late to put up lights in a 50-year-old neighborhood. The whole community will see a lot of sky glow and glare," Joly said.

The meeting to certify the EIR is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the school district's board room in the Novato Education Center at 1017 Seventh St. Another community meeting is scheduled for Thursday and a vote on the lighting proposal is scheduled for May 30.

• ALSO SEE: Teen Daredevils Scale, Swing & Dangle From Golden Gate Bridge: WATCH

--Bay City News/File image via Morguefile