Commission approves Episcopal High School athletic-field lighting SUP; neighbors asked for phased review and outreach

The Alexandria Planning Commission voted 7–0 to recommend City Council approval of a special-use permit allowing athletic-field lighting at Episcopal High School (1200 North Quaker Lane / 4200 West Braddock Road), with staff conditions requiring adjustments to a small number of proposed light-pole locations that were shown inside the required setback.

Bill Cook, a land-use planner with PNC (consultant to the school), summarized the application as a campus-wide lighting plan to serve athletic fields primarily on the west side of the roughly 130-acre campus. The plan proposes 47 light poles across multiple playing fields with heights ranging from 40 to 100 feet; staff said the tallest poles are on the northern track and adjacent practice fields, which are furthest from residential areas. The staff report notes that five poles as shown would not meet the 35-foot setback requirement and included a condition requiring slight relocation before construction permits are issued.

Staff said modern LED, high-mount lighting systems can better focus light on playing surfaces and reduce glare and spill to neighboring properties; Planning Director Karl Moritz noted post-installation reviews of recent city athletic-lighting projects have confirmed those systems can deliver effective illumination while controlling off-site spill when properly designed and installed.

Seminary Hill Association president Bill Rossello told the commission that many SHA board members initially supported the school’s plan focused on the West Braddock fields but later learned the application included a broader campus-wide set of poles; SHA asked that the SUP be limited to the three fields along West Braddock in the short term and that future field lighting proposals be considered separately by the community and commission. Episcopal’s general counsel, Stephanie Sparks Smith, and other school representatives described long-standing campus use by community groups, a history of hosting Special Olympics and regional training and said the school has repeatedly engaged Seminary Hill Association and nearby neighbors. The school said it wants long-term planning certainty and emphasized that temporary lighting used previously produced worse spill and impacts than modern permanent systems.

The commission closed the public hearing and recommended approval by a 7–0 vote with staff’s conditions, including relocation of poles shown inside the 35-foot setback and an extended construction timeline to phase improvements in coordination with funding. Commissioners asked staff to ensure continued neighborhood outreach as subsequent field lighting phases are designed and permitted.