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Schools

Residents Appear Unswayed in Opposition to Field Improvements

An on-site demonstration of the proposed lighting and sound system improvements at Pleasant Valley was held Monday night.

The Peters Township Board of Education held an on-site  Monday night in regard to the proposed improvements scheduled for .

The effort appeared to have little effect on changing the minds and opinions of residents living nearby who are concerned about how the improvements will affect their homes.

School board members and designers of the lighting and sound system demonstrated the speaker system volume and the intensity of the lighting that will be part of the $2.5 million renovation project for the field.

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Other improvements include new turf for the field, restroom facilities, 39 additional spaces for parking, a concession stand, bleachers and an improved access road. The board plans to float a bond issue for the Pleasant Valley improvements, among other building improvements in the district.

District Superintendent Nina Zetty and project designer Matt Franz, of HHSDR Architects & Engineers, answered numerous questions posed by the several dozen residents from nearby neighborhoods about the project.

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He explained that the lighting system has been designed with glare shields to prevent spill-over light to the homes and streets around the field. He also noted that the light towers will be 70 feet tall, and directed on the field of play. Two light towers will be located on each side of the field containing seven lights each. In accordance with township regulations, lights would be turned off each evening, when the field is used, at 10 p.m.

Franz also said that the sound system will be located on the bleacher side of the field away from the neighborhoods surrounding the field.

Neighbors attending said they were still not convinced that the lighting and sound would not pose a problem, and that the field doesn’t need the planned renovations.

“It’s unnecessary spending of money," said Allison D’Addieco. “And it’s going to cause a lot of problems for the people who live right behind the field.”

John Milntholt, a resident of Robinhood Lane, was also not impressed with the demonstration, but was more concerned about spending money for the project.

“I think it’s appalling to put lights at such an elevation without any real need,” he said. “I think it’s nonsense to do this for the coaches and leagues that will be using this field much more than the school district. And, the taxpayers are going to pay for it. It’s absurd to be spending money like water. It’s really irresponsible.”

Franz said his firm designed the lighting and sound systems with consideration given to all the township ordinances and regulations.

“The township will have the ability to adjust the lights after they are installed so they could satisfy everybody in the neighborhood,” he said. “It won’t be any louder than anyone heard tonight, and it will have the ability to be locked-out so the volume can’t be increased. The speakers will be across the field from the residents and will be aimed at spectators in the bleachers.”

Lori Cuervo, chairperson of the school board’s buildings and grounds committee, said her committee has heard a lot of support for the project from other people within the community who believe the project should proceed.

“We have heard from athletic directors, recreation directors and many others that we need to put money into athletic facilities for the children,” she said. “We did our own internal analysis of what the facilities needed, and renovation to this facility and to the high school were among the top issues on the list, and they are the ones we are moving forward with.”

Cuervo added that the board wants to be a good neighbor to the residents, and her committee has taken as many steps as possible to assure that the field improvements will be positive, including modifications to the original plan after meeting with the planning commission.

Zetty told residents gathered at the meeting that the district could arrange a visit for them to the fields in neighboring districts, where similar lighting and sound systems are in use, to demonstrate the minimum impact on the surrounding neighborhoods.

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