Neighbors say Northwood High stadium lights DEIR is flawed; board urged to delay approval

Residents from communities adjacent to Northwood High urged the Irvine Unified School District board to reject or substantially revise a proposed stadium lighting and public‑address (PA) system, arguing the district’s draft environmental impact report contains methodological flaws and misses neighborhood impacts.

Several speakers during public comment described the proposed installation as 48 stadium lights mounted on four poles about 70 feet high plus a PA system and said the project would increase traffic, noise and security burdens for nearby homeowners. John Duong, president of the Orchard Hills Village 2 Community Association, said the DEIR relied on a single noise/lighting sampling point on Portola Parkway rather than measuring conditions inside neighboring subdivisions and accused the report of using boilerplate analyses that ignored local sight lines and traffic realities. “The draft EIR is deeply flawed and fails to meet CEQA standards,” Duong said, urging trustees to reject the proposal and meet with community representatives before any February decision.

Other residents made related claims: Dr. Omer Jaklic, treasurer of Orchard Hills Village 2 HOA, said recent HOA costs (fencing, landscaping and temporary security) have exceeded $100,000 and asked whether homeowners would bear future costs tied to the project. A separate commenter said many neighbors, including seniors who go to bed around 8–9 p.m., were not included in the DEIR’s sampling and should be consulted.

Trustee Cyril Yu responded to public concerns by outlining the board’s obligations under CEQA and the district’s long facilities timeline. He reiterated that the projects began in 2024 and that preparation of an EIR is a statutory step that requires public comment; he noted the board had not scheduled a final decision for the night and that, if approved, any decision would not be effective until a later date (trustees indicated February as the likely action month). “This is an ongoing process,” Cyril said, inviting continued feedback and reminding the public the board will take community input into account as it completes the CEQA review.

Next steps: The board did not take a final vote on the stadium lights at this meeting. Trustees and staff repeatedly stated the CEQA process and the public comment period will continue and that the district expects to consider the project again in February, after additional review and community input.