Friday Night Lights,
Not Every Night Lights
A neighborhood group to share information and concerns about the
$1.37 million capital plan for stadium lighting at Tatlock Field in Summit, NJ.
Visit us on Facebook or email us at unitedfortatlock@gmail.com to learn more.
Summit taxpayers are on the hook!
Stadium Lighting is being proposed at Tatlock for $1.37 million dollars of taxpayer money. That is one third of the City’s 2024 Capital Budget and almost double the entire 2023 Capital Budget.
The total cost is still not known. A city commissioned traffic study recommended improvements for pedestrian safety that have not yet been estimated.
Similar projects have relied on fundraising and grants, but taxpayers are being asked to fully fund the lights.
Underfunded Tatlock playground. Washington families expected to help fund the shortfall.
Cost for the new Tatlock Playground is estimated to be $1.3 million. The city has only budgeted $500k over 2024 and 2025 for this project. We are still $800k short in funds.
The Department of Community Programs expects to receive a significant portion from grants and other sources, but will still rely on Washington families’ support. In the final 2024 Capital Budget presentation, DCP said they will “work with the Washington School PTO on fundraising the Tatlock Playground project.” Why is DCP raising funds for the Tatlock playground, but still requesting the full amount from taxpayers for stadium lighting in the proposed 2025 budget?
Public Safety Concerns
At a February 2024 meeting with residents and Common Council members, the Department of Community Programs informed residents that no traffic study and no additional security is needed. Because of our insistence that DCP examine the numerous public safety concerns already existing around Tatlock, we were informed that a Traffic and Parking study will be conducted over the spring and fall. We eagerly await the results of these studies.
The Community Programs Advisory Board discussed on September 27, 2022 that lighting Tatlock field would lead to “Ancillary Nighttime Items”, including:
- Parking
- Noise
- Trash
- Vandalism
- Teen issues – Drinking, etc
Does a late night training facility belong in a residential neighborhood?
Plans call for eight 70 – 80 foot light poles (four at the upper field and four at the lower field). Department of Community Programs has confirmed lights may run until 10 pm, 7 nights a week. The eight stadium lights do not include the lights for the walkways and parking lot. What is the cumulative effect of all of these lights? Common Council members said that the city had not considered this in a meeting with residents on February 7, 2023.
Breaking promises to the neighborhood!
In 2004, the city made a promise to the Washington Community to not install permanent lighting. This commitment was made to reduce the burden that turfing two fields in the neighborhood would have on the residents living nearby.
Mr Hirner also asked about lights at Tatlock to make use of the investment for longer periods of time. Mayor Glatt replied regarding limiting lights on the field “A commitment was made from the city to neighbors and that must be honored”
Dispatch, May 8, 2004
