In Suprise Vote, Lower Merion High School Gets Conditional Nod For Friday Night Lights
Last night (July 15), by a vote of 8-6, the Lower Merion Board of Commissioners approved a tentative sketch plan, submitted by Lower Merion School District, to erect permanant lights at Lower Merion High School’s Arnold Field.
The commissioners attached several conditions to their approval (drafted by Fifth Ward Commissioner Ray Courtney, in whose district the school is located). It is not yet known if the School District will accept those conditions.
The district’s plan calls for the erection of four 80-foot tall light towers, at a cost of $1,000,000.
During public comment, several members of the neighboring community who will be impacted by the lights, spoke out against the plan.
Former Township Commissioner, Phil Rosenzweig, is an attorney who represents the Wynnewood Civic Association. Last month, Rosenzweig argued in a letter to Township Zoning Officer, Michael Wylie, and again last night during public comment, that the LMSD lighting plan violates the zoning code.
Phil Rosenzweig
Commissioner Todd Sinai (Ward 12) chaired the meeting. During public comment he summarized the 40 emails he received about the plan (split almost evenly between approving and disapproving), including one with an online petition attached that had more than 500 signatures calling for the construction of the lights. Sinai noted that most of the signatures on that petition belonged to Lower Merion High School students.
The final vote approving the plan came as a surprise (at least to some), after the commissioners almost unanimously directed harsh criticism toward the School Board. Sean Whalen (Ward 7) said “They view it as a matter of course that we owe it to them, as opposed to a really severe measure that we’re telling the neighbors that they’re going to have to deal with. He contrasted the approval of the new middle school, which he characterized as a “huge need,” versus the proposal for the light towers, which Whalen described as “a desire.”
Board President Dan Bernheim (Ward 1) chastised the School Board for their unwillingness to meet with the neighbors. He also noted that “if you take all of the private developers together, they do not equal the number of lawsuits we have with the School Board.”
Sean Whalen
Dan Bernheim
Voting in Favor
- Dan Bernheim (Ward 1)
- Anthony Stevenson (Ward 4)
- Ray Courtney (Ward 5)
- Sean Walen (Ward 7)
- Anna Durbin (Ward 8)
- David McComb (Ward 9)
- Gilda Kramer (Ward 13)
- Rick Churchill (Ward 14)
.
Voting Against
- Joshua Grimes (Ward 2)
- Michael McKeon (Ward 3)
- Andy Gavrin (Ward 6)
- Scott Zelov (Ward 10)
- Tiffany O’Neill (Ward 11)
- Todd Sinai (Ward 12)
This is disgusting. Of course, the “students” want the lights, but they’re not paying for it. There must be a better way to spend $1,000,000 — like on Education?
Also, Lower Merion is already suffering from light pollution. Environmentally, it is causing the demise of our lightning bugs who need the darkness to find their mates.