Athletic Field Lights, Other Key Items Up For Alexandria Council Consideration

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Alexandria City Council will consider allowing lighting at four school athletic fields and one park field at Saturday's meeting. The meeting includes other key agenda items like making the unit block of King Street a permanent pedestrian zone and adding prevailing wage provisions for construction contracts.

The city's Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities has proposed lighting at five athletic fields. The proposed locations are Francis C. Hammond Middle School at 4646 Seminary Road, Patrick Henry K-8 School and Recreation Center at 4643 and 4653 Taney Avenue, Jefferson Houston K-8 School at 1501 Cameron Street, George Washington Middle School at 1005 Mount Vernon Avenue and Eugene Simpson Stadium Park at 426 East Monroe Avenue.

According to the city, the goal of adding lighting is to expand capacity for youth programs due to the city's limited facilities. Alexandria City High School has benefited from the addition of lighting at the renovated Parker-Gray Stadium, allowing home games to be played at night under the lights.

The Planning Commission voted 6-0 to recommend approval of the lighting permits. At November's Planning Commission meeting, residents provided feedback for and against the proposal.

According to the meeting docket, several representatives of the Alexandria Soccer Association spoke in favor of how lighting would benefit sports programs. Some residents raised concerns with lighting at specific field locations, including multiple comments about George Washington Middle School and Francis C. Hammond Middle School.

According to a staff report, lights would be turned off no later than 10 p.m. and only used at night when fields have been reserved. For Hammond Middle School, the light spill is expected to be no further than 30 feet from the field on the side facing residential properties across N. Pickett Street. For George Washington Middle School, the staff report says light spill up to 65 feet from the northern end of the field is possible. Light spill is expected to be limited to the north side of the neighboring E. Glendale Avenue, and maturing trees on the south side of E. Glendale Avenue can help minimize light spillage. Light spill is not expected to impact other sides of the field.

Funding for athletic field lighting at two locations had been included in City Council's approved fiscal year 2023 budget. Those first two locations could be Francis C. Hammond Middle School, Jefferson Houston K-8 School or George Washington Middle School. Patrick Henry K-8 School and Recreation Center would be aimed for fiscal year 2024 and Eugene Simpson Stadium Park for fiscal year 2025.

Other key items on City Council's agenda for Saturday are:

• Approving the permanent pedestrian zone in the unit block of King Street and northern part of the Strand (closure to vehicular traffic except emergency vehicles)
• Adding prevailing wage provisions to city code for construction contracts above $250,000 starting July 1, 2023
• Approving master plan amendment, rezoning, special use permit and site plan for a 94-unit affordable housing apartment community at 2712 Duke Street, a current auto sales dealership

The meeting starts at 8:30 a.m. Saturday. See the full City Council agenda for Saturday here.