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County approves Greenfield Park lighting plan despite neighbor concerns about height and brightness
Summary
Botetourt County approved a special-exception permit Nov. 25 to install field lighting at Greenfield Park with poles up to 70 feet and an automatic shutoff by 10 p.m.; neighbors urged lower light levels and shorter poles, while Parks staff cited Musco's photometric plans and 25-year maintenance warranty.
The Botetourt County Board of Supervisors approved Nov. 25 a special-exception permit to install field lighting at Greenfield Park, permitting poles up to 70 feet and requiring automated controls that staff said would turn lights off by 10 p.m. except for events approved by county Parks and Recreation.
Morales, Parks and Recreation director, described the county's proposed vendor as Musco and said the vendor's photometric plans keep light on county property and provide remote control and 24/7 monitoring. "They have a 25-year maintenance free warranty," Morales said, describing vendor monitoring and subcontractor service that would reduce local maintenance obligations.
During public comment, Channing Preston, who lives at 120 Smithfield Way adjacent to the park, urged the county to target lower lighting levels and shorter poles. "30 to 45 plus foot candles is more like what's in an office setting," Preston said, arguing that recreational fields typically target 20 foot-candles and that 50-foot poles could achieve necessary illumination while reducing cost and visual impact. Preston also asked that the scope and frequency of event exemptions to the 10 p.m. shutoff be specified in writing.
Planning staff responded that Musco recommended an average of 30 foot-candles for the paired-field layout and that two 70-foot poles and four 60-foot poles were the engineer's design to meet that average across both fields. Staff said photometric modeling shows rapid light falloff beyond the tree line and that the vendor's remote-control system allows Parks staff to turn lights off if they remain on past scheduled times.
Supervisors discussed landscaping and agreed replacing the existing Bradford pear trees could be considered in next year's budget. After discussion the board moved and voted to approve the special-exception permit with the conditions presented in staff materials, including the maximum pole height and the automated shutoff provision.
The transcript does not record a roll-call tally; the chair announced the motion passed. The county planning files contain the full photometric plan, recommended conditions, and the engineering specifications cited by staff.
