Shedding new light on school

Greg Harman

Monday, May 1, 2000 | 10:06 a.m.

In the battle of the bright lights, the Henderson Planning Commission agreed that neighbors should be able to judge for themselves whether Foothill High School stadium lights have been properly adjusted.

Planning commissioners denied a request by resident Jim Born to revoke the school's permit to use the lights but agreed with him on one significant point. Residents near the field should be able to view the lights to see if their glare has been reduced.

A recent school district study revealed the lights at Foothill, 800 College Drive, were operating at seven times their allowed level, according to a report by the city's Community Development staff.

"In fairness to the neighbors, they deserve to see what the lights look like," Planning Commissioner Danny Sanders said before the unanimous vote.

Community Development Department staff members told commissioners that the lights had been corrected and needed no public review. They said the aura of nearby streetlights made it impossible to tell exactly how bright the lights are.

"The problem is they never turned the lights on, so it's hard for the community to see if it's better," Born complained to the commissioners.