Neighbors tell school board artificial turf, stadium lights have created heat, odor and light nuisance

Neighbors near the Rosalind Heights athletic complex told the Salt Lake City School District Board of Education on July 14 that a recent conversion to full-size artificial turf has caused persistent heat, odor and intrusive lighting and that the community was not given adequate information before construction.

At a public-comment period, Rhett Jepsen said the board was shown a different concept before the vote and that the final layout — including a 2.65-acre turf installation and a one-acre warm-up field — was not presented in time for proper neighborhood review. "The poll referenced lights and said, 'directional lighting' — these are 70-foot stadium-scale lights placed adjacent to homes," Jepsen said, adding that the district relied on a sales brochure rather than an impact study.

Why it matters: Several residents described heat and off-gassing from crumb-rubber infill and said stadium lights shine into bedrooms. Keith Donovan, who lives immediately west of the field, said the installation has reduced outdoor comfort and raised worries about property values. "The stadium lighting is completely out of scale with the residential neighborhood," he said, asking the board to consider relocating lights and reusing crumb rubber at other district sites.

District staff and board context: Speakers at the meeting described late-stage design changes that expanded practice areas and added lighting; attendees said those changes were not sufficiently communicated to neighbors. Several commenters requested the district revisit the decision, consider replacing turf adjacent to homes with natural landscaping buffers, and relocate lights and infill to sites less close to residences.

What supporters and opponents said: Willow Jepsen urged the board to "address the source" rather than layering temporary fixes, saying the warm-up field and adjacent lights make the site an "extremely heating, rubber-smelling" environment that limits neighborhood enjoyment. Commenters repeatedly asked the board to acknowledge the neighborhood outreach they say did not occur and to study health and environmental impacts before repeating similar conversions on other district properties.

Next steps: Commenters asked the board to open dialogue and investigate options such as relocating the warm-up turf, repurposing crumb-rubber infill elsewhere, and planting substantial green buffers; the board did not take immediate action during the public-comment period. The district may be asked to follow up with residents through the superintendent's office or at a future meeting.

Sources: Public commenters Rhett Jepsen, Keith Donovan and Willow Jepsen addressed the board during the July 14 public-comment period. No formal impact study or staff pledge to re-open the project was recorded during the meeting.