Politics & Government

Wilton Tempers Flare at Second Middlebrook Lights Public Hearing

The gloves were off during a public hearing drawing roughly 200. Whether "for" or "against" a proposed amendment to allow sports field lighting upgrades, the lines were clearly drawn.

Written by Leslie Yager
A crowd of about 200 turned out for the second Planning & Zoning public hearing on the proposed amendment to the zoning regulations to allow lighting upgrades to Middlebrook Field.

The hearing, held in the cafeteria at Cider Mill School, accommodated attendance triple that of the first hearing, which took place in the Brubeck Room at the library, with far more supporters of the amendment present than at the first hearing.  

Anthony LoFrisco, who had submitted a letter asking for P&Z commission member Chris Hulse to recuse himself, was delayed in arriving at the hearing, getting him off on the wrong foot with P&Z's Mike Rudolph.

Rudolph acknowledged that a member of the Wetlands Commission who LoFrisco pointed out was a "fellow coach of Mr. Hulse" had indeed recused himself, but insisted none of the P&Z commissioners had reason for recusal, and that the decision was at their discretion.   

Asked to sit down by Mr. Rudolph, LoFrisco said he was being prevented from presenting evidence as to why Rudolph and Hulse should recuse themselves. 

"This is nothing less than a cover-up by both of you," said LoFrisco to a chorus of laughter from the crowd.

LoFrisco, toting blowups of documents to support his position, argued that the commission was exceeding its statutory authority. Again, he challenged the legality of the application, which was initially submitted by Casey Healy, from the firm Gregory and Adams, withdrawn and re-submitted by Eric Dean, the president of Wilton Youth Football

LoFrisco presented a blowup of Mr. Healy's signature on the re-submitted application rather than that of the applicant, Mr. Dean.

LoFrisco insisted that the amendment would not survive legal challenge. 

"The citizens of this Town will not tolerate the destruction of a town to satisfy the narrow interest of a group, some of whom want to light up athletic fields to attract tournaments and jamborees," LoFrisco said.

Rudolph replied, "If the application was improperly executed, as far as I'm concerned, it's a technicality, and is without merit. I reviewed the application and that is the way I personally feel about it. However there are others on the board who feel this should be passed up to town counsel."

And so the tone was set. Unlike the first hearing, tempers flared from the start. Despite a plea from P&Z's Rudolph for brevity and civility, speakers shouted in anger and there were accusations of bullying and rudeness during the two hours dedicated to public comment. 

Before the period of public comment, three speakers presented on behalf of the applicants: attorney Casey Healy of Gregory and Adams, David Schiff, a certified planner from DHB and Andrew Dyjak of Musco Sports Lighting who addressed technical aspect of illumination of athletic fields.

Healy proposed to define the term athletic field as, "A piece of land used for playing field sports such as football, soccer, field hockey, baseball, softball, lacrosse or similar sports for competition such as track and field."

Dyjak defined "spill" as the amount of unwanted light off the field and "glare" as the eye's recognition of light. He said that new technology -- visors, optometric design options and higher mounting heights -- reduce spill and glare by 50% over old generation lighting.
 
Schiff said the application gives the P&Z "a range of controls" and ability to review proposals with an eye to protecting "surrounding areas by limitations on height, use of photometric plans, requirements for shades, the ability to establish curfews and limitations on times for use."

Schiff referred to the Town's Plan of Conservation and Development. "We believe that based on the information presented previously that the proposal would in fact help to do that."

During the public hearing, Woodson Duncan of Middlebrook Farm Road voiced multiple arguments against the lights. 

"If these go up tomorrow and homeowners see 80 foot poles and lights at night are going to see a dramatic and immediate reduction in value of their property," Duncan said.  "That is what's going to happen on Drum Hill, Signal Hill, School Road, all the way down you're going to see these. The topographical map, it's a bowl. Leaves come off the trees, visible down to Norwalk."

Duncan said there is research indicating a risk of cancer are associated with exposure to lights and grew angry as his arguments met with audible snickers and groans from the audience.  

Duncan also said that after the first hearing, "I got the impression from documents that were submitted that this is the beginning of a larger plan to transform the fields around the school into a sports complex with added traffic, noise and pollution in a residential neighborhood." 

Jerry Coyne-Dawson, who opposes the amendment said, "The physical damage that both turf and lights cause to our children is not worth it so that we can feel better out ourselves. We need to protect our kids," she said, to which a woman in the audience shouted back, "We can protect our own kids."  

"I cannot understand the rudeness that went on this room this evening. This is a town that has worked together to do many things. I am so upset I am shaking because of the rudeness I saw," Coyne-Dawson shouted, singling out a man for using his phone instead of paying attention.

Speaking in favor of the amendment waJoe Polito, who said his family had built houses in Wilton, "houses for people with children. This is a community based on families," he said, going on to suggest Wilton's sports facilities are falling behind. " It's almost embarrassing to go other towns," he said.

Ryan Masterson identified himself as a 4th grade coach and spoke of the disgrace of children, "warming up in dirt, vying for a patch of light."

Al Nickel argued that driving at rush hour and at night to other towns for sports practices is dangerous. "My child had to go to SoNo Field House to practice lacrosse on Sunday nights. Farming kids out to adjacent towns is dangerous."
 
Jacquelyn Bayne voiced support for the amendment, saying, "This will really bring value to our Town. You'll be able to see them (lights) across town, but it will increase housing values."

After everyone had a chance to speak either for or against the proposed amendment, Rudolph noted there are 35 days to continue a public hearing, and, acknowledging that the pending election could change the makeup of the P&Z commission, set the next hearing date for November 12, 2013. 



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