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Residents urge San Ramon to act on intense stadium-style lights from Deer Creek/Pradera development
Summary
Residents of nearby neighborhoods told the council stadium-style floodlights at the Pradera/Deer Creek development are left on all night, disrupting sleep and wildlife; they said city staff and county responses have produced little relief and asked the council to investigate.
Residents from neighborhoods near the Deer Creek/Pradera development told the San Ramon City Council on Sept. 23 that stadium‑style lights installed at 17445 Bullinger Canyon Road are bright enough to read by at night and are disrupting sleep and local wildlife.
“Powerful stadium style lights have been installed at this location and are left on throughout the night,” said Abhijit Banerjee, who identified himself as a resident and president of the Serena at Gale Ranch homeowners association. He said the lights penetrate homes across a canyon and described impacts to nocturnal wildlife: “The constant glare has silenced our nights. We no longer hear the owls hooting.”
Banerjee said residents had tried to resolve the problem for months via the city’s code enforcement and by contacting Contra Costa County and the builder, Chappelle Properties, but had not seen corrective action. He brought photos to the clerk and said he and neighbors have a change.org petition asking for relief.
Another speaker, Sandeep Anur, said the builder did reduce light intensity once after earlier complaints but that the change did not stop interior rooms from being lit throughout the night. He urged the city to require shielded, warmer color temperature fixtures like those used in neighboring developments and to act quickly, saying the problem has persisted about nine months.
Mayor Mary Armstrong thanked the speakers and said the council had received the materials; the city clerk will distribute the submissions to all council members. No binding action was taken at the hearing; residents asked the council to instruct staff to investigate and to clarify jurisdictional responsibilities between the city and the county.
Why this matters: Intense nighttime lighting can affect public health, sleep quality and local wildlife; residents emphasized both human and ecological impacts and said they have reached a bureaucratic impasse between city, county and developer outreach.
Next steps: City staff accepted the documentation and will review the complaint and routing to code enforcement or other appropriate agencies. Residents requested the council designate a member to champion the issue and to agendize follow-up if needed.
