Shining light on problem at field

Alicia Robinson

The temporary lights brightening athletic fields at Kaiser School

will likely go out for good at the end of March, leaving a gaggle of

young soccer players in the dark as to where they’ll practice next

fall.

The Costa Mesa Parks and Recreation Commission decided last week

to prohibit portable lights at Kaiser, where they’ve been used for

the past several years for after-dark practices by American Youth

Soccer Organization Club 97 and Orange Coast United Soccer Club.

The temporary lights are actually designed for construction and

tend to spill into the surrounding neighborhood, which has annoyed

residents.

Parks commissioners considered the portable lighting policy

citywide but ultimately decided to end the use of the lights at

Kaiser School only, because shutting down all temporary lighting at

city athletic facilities would severely limit field availability for

recreational sports, parks commission Chairman Byron De Arakal said.

“Really we thought that there were some alternatives for AYSO 97

other than Kaiser, and Kaiser residents deserved a break,” he said.

The current permit for temporary lighting lasts until Thursday.

Daylight saving time, which starts Sunday, will mean more daylight

hours for practices and games until the fall. In the meantime, city

staff members will work with soccer officials to find space on

lighted fields, De Arakal said.

That’s likely to be the biggest problem. Of the 86,000 hours per

year on fields scheduled by the city recreation department, at least

80% of the time goes to youth sports, city-sponsored activities and

nonprofit groups serving mainly Costa Mesa residents, De Arakal said.

Field space also is requested by adult programs and those with a

lower percentage of city residents participating, so the city gets

far more requests for athletic fields than it can honor.

The city has only four lighted fields for soccer, and about 3,300

children play the sport in Newport-Mesa’s two AYSO leagues.

That shortage of space led Chris Sarris, a commissioner for AYSO

Region 97, to appeal the parks commission’s decision. He’s skeptical

that the city will be able to find him time on existing lighted

fields.

“These fields don’t exist right now,” he said. “It’s not a

question of finding them; it’s a question of making them.”

And even creating new athletic facilities with nighttime lights is

likely to meet roadblocks, Sarris said. AYSO gave the city $50,000

about five years ago to install permanent lights at more fields, but

the city ended up giving the money back because neighbors said they

didn’t want lights next to their homes, he said.

Sarris is hoping the City Council listens to his appeal, because

if there aren’t fields to use, he’ll have to limit the number of

children who can play in AYSO.

“The options are, then we start turning away kids,” he said. “When

there’s not enough field space, and people don’t want these things in

their backyard, that’s the alternative.”

* ALICIA ROBINSON covers government and politics. She may be

reached at (714) 966-4626 or by e-mail at

alicia.robinson@latimes.com.