That’s not true! We support Friday Night Lights. Most of us attended every year and hope the annual Friday Night Lights event will return.
Diesel powered lights could no longer be placed on the track after it was resurfaced in 2021. The lights were moved onto the turf, which made players sick and created many additional safety concerns.
Past quotes for weekend rental determined the price to be $35k – $55k. This is the same as it would cost to operate the proposed permanent lighting for a year. The current $1.6 million proposal could pay for Friday Night Lights for 30 years.
According to conversations with Summit Common Council member Bob Pawlowski, stadium lighting is necessary to support the Summit Lacrosse Club because they don’t have enough field space.
No. Summit High School has sufficient field space to support their current programs.
Again, no. According to the 2024 tentative practice schedule, Summit Lacrosse Club has enough field space for both boys and girls to play lacrosse 4 times per week (two 90 minute weekday practices and two weekend days) for 5th grade and up.
We’ve asked the Department of Community Programs for specifics on why this project is necessary and to date, we have only received vague responses about a lack of field space. DCP’s FAQ gives one example, saying that second, third, and fourth grade girls field hockey could be moved from 7 PM to an earlier time.
Again, due to our persistence and our refusal to accept murky answers, the DCP plans on doing a study of field usage which will be reviewed this spring, with a meeting in the fall to discuss with the community. But this seems like putting the cart before the horse. The DCP continues to insist that the nighttime field space is necessary but the analysis to support that claim has yet to be performed. Similar to the parking, traffic and environmental impact studies, we await the results of their review to be shared with us.
While it’s true that modern lights have limited spill light and won’t make the surrounding area bright, they don’t adequately reduce glare. According to the Athletic Field Lighting and Control of Obtrusive Light Pollution white paper produced by the Fairfax County Park Authority, “Glare may be a significant problem that seriously impairs both safety and quality of life. Glare can be a serious safety hazard (for example for drivers and pedestrians) in that it demands attention since one’s eyes are naturally attracted to bright light, and at night this destroys the eye’s dark adaptation (i.e., the eye’s sensitivity to lower light levels). […] Glare and excessive illumination […] when cast into surrounding residential neighborhoods not only detract from the quality of life but can make it difficult for pedestrians and homeowners to see their surroundings.”
Speak at a Common Council Meeting – next meeting is March 19 at 7:30 pm, City Hall, 512 Springfield Ave, Summit
Email the Department of Community Programs to express your concern.
Donate to support the purchase of more yard signs. Venmo @UnitedForTatlock – last four digits 1863
Display a Yard Sign – email UnitedForTatlock@gmail.com to request
Spread the Word – We need as much community support as possible to fight this. The majority of the Summit Common Council is in support of stadium lighting, and plans are already in motion to have them installed as early as next year. Share our website with your neighbors and friends UnitedForTatlock.com