Moved in during 1974 – Quiet middle class neighborhoodMostly 3 and 4 bedroom homes. It is undergoing change as modest post WW2 homes are being replaced by homes that are two or three times as expensive.
In 1974 Howie Anderson still at the High School. At Tatlock were 6 football games, Summit Relays and High School graduation
2003-2004 Proposal to turf and light the lower field and create the upper Tatlock Field as a home for Summit Lacrosse.
Washington Area residents became alarmed. Washington Area Association was formed – Eric Ollum, Ellen Purcell, Barbara Winslow-Viti were the officers.
After lots of discussion and many meetings with folks from all over the affected areas, an agreement with city that lights would not be installed was reached.
Since then:
- Neighborhood residents have accommodated to the change.
- Use of both fields has increased significantly with games most Saturdays and frequently on Sundays during good weather months with blaring loudspeakers, traffic, parking in controlled intersections, etc. No pushback from nearby residents.
Personally, I like to take a nap on Saturday afternoons because I do my shift at Vets4Warriors until late Saturday night. It is hard to sleep on game days because the sound from the loudspeakers penetrates my double-pane windows. I haven’t complained but have been tempted to do so.
Friday Night Lights were initiated with temporary lights – no pushback from nearby residents. – Even if it were a few
nights a year I wouldn’t mind and I don’t think others would either. Practice lights were installed on upper Tatlock – no pushback from residents.
The installation of game lights with attendant increase in events will create a hardship for residents in the entire area.
There are other reasons I object to lighting the fields: The proposal for $1.6 million is incomplete – no study of ongoing costs and impact on quality of life has been conducted.
The process for reaching a decision has been backward. $1.6 million is being asked for based on a rough estimate that is more than a year old. No discussion with affected neighbors, no research of ongoing costs for maintenance operation and repair, no traffic impact studies or noise studies, no anticipation that Tatlock lights might motivate Oratory, Kent Place schools or the golf course to be lighted.
No discussion about whether it is appropriate for school-age children to be practicing and playing sports till 10pm on school nights.
No usage guidelines in place. Will non-Summit teams or people from out of town be allowed to use the fields? How will that be enforced?
If a private public partnership were considered, as some people suggest what would be their responsibility – one- time expense or ongoing payment for operations, maintenance and repair?
All of these unknowns need to become known before money is allocated for this project and there is no way they can be decided by the time this year’s capital budget is approved. You don’t ask for money and THEN decide how to spend it.
The $1.6 million request ought to be stricken from the proposed capital budget until this matter has been fully studied and agreements made between the city, sports organizations and residents are in place.