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Iona Preparatory wins variance for 80‑foot sports lights after hours of neighborhood debate
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Summary
The New Rochelle Zoning Board of Appeals granted Iona Preparatory permission to install four 80‑foot LED light stanchions at its Wilmot Road athletic field, ruling that modern, directional fixtures produce less off‑site glare than the temporary lights they replace. Neighbors had urged stricter controls on parking, spillover and hours; the board required post‑installation photometric verification and noted planning‑board review ahead.
Iona Preparatory won Zoning Board approval on Dec. 2 to install four 80‑foot LED sport‑lighting stanchions at its athletic field at 255 Wilmot Road after an extended public hearing in which residents raised concerns about light spill, nighttime activity, parking and traffic.
Tony Joffre, counsel for the school, and Sunei Suda of Populous described the proposal as a replacement for 20 temporary pole lights and noisy diesel generators currently wheeled onto the field. They said modern directional LED fixtures concentrate illumination on the playing surface, reduce glare off‑site and can be dimmed for practice. A manufacturer photometric analysis presented to the board showed predicted foot‑candle readings at the property line within or below the city’s code thresholds in most locations, with isolated points at or near code limits; the applicant said the fixtures are similar in specification to installations at the high school and city park.
Neighbors across multiple streets urged the board to withhold approval or to attach strict conditions. Speakers said visitors currently park on neighborhood streets during busy events, that there are safety risks when pedestrians cross nearby roads at night, and that additional permanent lights would intensify evening activity. Residents asked for enforceable limits on the number and timing of night events, a clear traffic and valet plan, and precise plans for shielding and landscaping to reduce visual impact.
In response, Iona representatives said the project does not increase the number of games or practices; the sanctuary and primary field capacity are unchanged. They said the new site layout enables a formal valet and parking‑management plan that did not function with the current temporary configuration and that the renovated program will remove reliance on refrigerated trucks and tents by providing permanent kitchen and social‑hall space.
Board members questioned neighbors and applicants about the photometric data, lighting heights and as‑built verification. Planning and building staff will require technical specifications and a post‑installation photometric test to confirm compliance; the board noted those as permit conditions. On a roll call, a majority of members voted to approve the area variance to allow the 80‑foot poles, with the board chair and the city’s building department emphasizing that planning‑board review and final building permits remain required before construction.
What happens next: The project must secure planning‑board signoff and building permits; the building department will verify that the installed fixtures meet the photometric plan and any required operational conditions such as dimming controls, shuttering and event limits.
