Rockville Centre residents spar over SSHS lights

An old proposal found new life on Monday, as members of the RVC Athletic Council announced plans to gift approximately $350,000 to the Rockville Centre school district for new athletic lighting at South Side High School.

According to Mark Ahern, of the RVC Athletic Council, the project would be funded by $107,000 the group has already raised, and a reimbursable grant for $250,000 from the N.Y. State Dormitory Authority.

Before a packed Board of Education meeting, Ahern said his group had raised enough money for energy-efficient lights, a tower and the labor to install them.

The proposed “green” lighting system, he said, would produce minimal “spill” of ambient light, five times less than that of the parking lot behind the field. Ahern also said that the lights would not be used during many months of the year, and that the school district’s policies governing their use, developed after a similar proposal was made about five years ago, were “reasonable.” They include an 8 p.m. curfew for practices, no lights on Saturdays and Sundays and 5:30 p.m. game starts on Fridays.

Unlike the previous proposal, which passed a state environmental review and was the subject of litigation that failed to stop it — though the economic downturn finally did — the current proposal does not include funding for synthetic turf or bleachers.

“It’s our dream to get the kids out of [the] Skelos [Sports Complex] and onto the campus,” Ahern said.

But as soon as they could, opponents of the lights — many of whom are neighbors of the school — lined up to address the board. They listed concerns that included projected declines in nearby property values of up to 11 percent if the system is deployed as well as security, liability and crowd issues.

Kelly Carr questioned the safety of playing on the field, which was known until the mid-1950s as the Allen Field sewage disposal/treatment plant. Carr also speculated that lights on the field would worsen the alcohol, drug and gang problems that she said already exist in the community.

Many other speakers mentioned the poor condition of the fields, about which nearly everyone agreed. Is it worth accepting a gift of lights now, for this “pathetic,” “embarrassing” field? they asked. Others questioned whether lights for the high school were the best place to start, and called for improving other areas of South Side, including its portable classrooms, locker rooms — and instruction.

A number of speakers echoed the sentiment that South Side is a top-notch school, but its facilities are disgraceful. Others urged school administrators to do their due diligence, accept the gift of lights and work toward raising funds for improving the fields. And several speakers said they believed that improving South Side’s athletic facilities would increase their property values rather than diminishing them.

The school needs a field that matches its academic standards, several people said.

“We have so little pride,” said Ellen Cameron, co-president of South Side’s Booster Club. “This school has not changed. There are people here who will fight for this. It’s been six years and it’s not going away.”

Before the public portion of the meeting ended, Jeff Greenfield, a graduate of the school, got in a final word. “A great crowd, a great debate,” he said. “We spent the money… [we had a] lawsuit. I’m embarrassed it’s six years later. It’s time — time to move on and invest in the kids, the field and the community. I don’t think the lights are enough.”

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