Attempting to assuage neighbors’ concerns about adding lights to its football stadium, Oak Park and River Forest High School has decided to spring for traffic and parking studies to assess the impact of potentially bigger crowds on the school’s neighborhood. However, so far, that offer hasn’t swayed neighbors who remain staunchly opposed to the school’s plans.
OPRF Assistant Superintendent for Operations Jack Lanenga presented a preliminary plan at last Tuesday’s District 200 board meeting, recommending that the school set January interviews with firms that specialize in traffic and parking research.
The school’s preliminary plan would restrict night games to only five varsity football games per year, and otherwise to have lights turned off at 8 p.m. The school’s other varsity teams?#34; boys’ and girls’ soccer and lacrosse, and field hockey?#34;would play up to two night games.
A notable exception would occur if the varsity football team makes the playoffs where at least one home game would be played under lights.
Lanenga said residents concerns would not be ignored as the process moved forward. The timetable laid out in his recommendation calls for a special board meeting in early December to gauge community input.
“We’re sensitive to the neighbors and their concerns, and it is imperative that we seek their input, he said.
Residents, however, fear the school and the board will move forward in any event.
“They’ve gone and built and done whatever they’ve wanted,’ said Ellen Allsteadt, who lives across from the south athlectic field near Linden Avenue. Allsteadt said lights were installed on the athletic field and track just south of Lake Street despite neighbor’s protests. “This is a very emotional issue for me; we’re trying to live the best life we can. We buy our homes and pay our taxes, and we have the right to enjoy our home within our own walls.”
Marsha Borders, who also lives across from the south field near Linden Avenue, said she does get light from the field in her home. Borders said the school’s expansion has gone too far and is happening at the neighbors’ expense.
“I think what we’re saying is: enough is enough,” she said. “We’re just opposed to it. They feel that it’s very beneficial to the students. We support these students and have supported a number of initiatives at the school in the past. But we can only support so much expansion. Our quality of life has to be considered.”
Lanenga said the school worked to reduce the amount of light spillage from the south field and has enforced the village-required curfew of no lights or activity at the field after 8 p.m. He added that the school would continue to keep trash and noise to a minimum.
OPRF eyed lighting its football stadium shortly after lights were installed on the school’s south practice field in 2002. A number of outspoken neighbors opposed lighting that space.
“It’s a quality of life issue,” said Lane Hart, who lives south of the field near North Boulevard. “We have a right to be in our homes and to be comfortable there.”
Residents also fear a lighted stadium not only would clog up parking and increase traffic, but result in an increase in crime, especially after hours.
“We have had security issues with what has been going on in the middle of the day,” Allsteadt said. “To have that kind of quandary at night just scares me.”
Allsteadt and others noted spotting people using marijuana and drinking alcohol after day games and other stadium events.
OPRF security, under the proposal, would outline a safety plan for all night games. The plan sets a preliminary date of July 2006 for installing lights. According to the plan’s timetable, the process will end if the board decides against lighting the stadium at its February meeting. If the board approves, the school will submit a plan to the Oak Park village government for necessary permits by February.
CONTACT tdean@wjinc.com