Light and noise from proposed sports field at CdM High remain key concerns for nearby residents
The potential intrusion of light and noise into homes remains a key concern for neighbors of a proposed sports field at Corona del Mar High School.
Students, faculty members and parents packed the school’s lecture hall Wednesday night to hear Ara Zareczny, Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s director of facilities development, planning and design, and PlaceWorks Inc. consultant Dwayne Mears discuss the project’s draft environmental impact report and answer questions.
The 402-page report studies the project as currently defined, plus two alternative plans, addressing how the field could affect lighting, traffic, air quality and noise.
Of the questions asked during the hour-long meeting, many concerned the possibility of proposed 80-foot-tall light poles projecting light into nearby homes and how that could negatively affect property values.
Mears showed visual simulations of 80-foot light poles from the draft EIR to explain why height is essential.
“We need to light the field and it needs to be lit evenly,” Mears said. “The reason why we go high is so we can direct it downward toward the surface.”
He pointed toward the poles and moved his hands downward to show how the light would collect toward the field and not outward toward homes.
“If I lower [the poles], I have to raise the angle of the light,” Mears said. “If you’ve ever seen lights at 30 feet, you’re looking straight at it.”
Mears tried to reassure the audience that with new technology, the lights wouldn’t create glare. Light from street poles is much stronger than that proposed for the sports field, he said.
“I’m not saying you won’t see it — I’m saying it won’t intrude in homes,” Mears said.
Because studies related to the California Environmental Quality Act look at physical and environmental effects, this study doesn’t include property values.
Some in the audience requested the elimination of the field’s proposed public address system.
According to the draft EIR, the PA system would result in a substantial and unavoidable noise increase for neighbors.
But Zareczny said there may be ways to mitigate it.
One option is to place the sound system speakers on the side, near the bleachers, so the noise projects onto the crowd and not outward.
Zareczny reminded the audience of the process the draft EIR must go through before a final decision is made on the field project.
“We have to finish the EIR process, evaluate impacts and, once we’ve done that, the board will review all items and provide staff direction as to what will be built,” Zareczny said.
The project as currently defined would give the school’s existing track and grass field 1,000 bleacher seats, synthetic turf, restrooms, concessions, a public address system and six 80-foot light poles. Currently there are no lights, and seating is about 600.
One of the two alternatives is a two-field plan that would replace the current field with synthetic turf and add another synthetic turf field on a nearby space. There would be options for permanent lights, temporary lights or no lights, and seating would remain at about 600.
The other alternative would replace the existing field with a synthetic field, with options for permanent, temporary or no lights. Seating would be kept at around 600.
The district board can decide to adopt the report with the project as currently defined, or with one of the alternatives or a combination of options.
The board recently adopted a resolution to support setting a limit on the seating capacity at no more than the existing 600.
The current field hosts practices for soccer, lacrosse, football and track and field, along with games for all those sports, except varsity football.
The new facility would have the same arrangements, officials say.
A final EIR is expected to be complete by the fall.
The public is invited to review and comment on the draft EIR until 5 p.m. March 22. Written comments can be sent to Zareczny at N-MUSD, 2985 Bear St., Building A, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 or emailed to feedback@nmusd.us.
To see the draft report, go to bit.ly/CdM-field-EIR.
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