City should approve lights at Farm fields

There are some issues that cause quintessential local debates: construction of the first big home on a block; the addition of service stations or similar businesses in a neighborhood; the cutting down of trees on a street. Another is the addition of lights at sports fields, a debate now raging among those who live near Costa Mesa’s Farm Sports Complex next to Costa Mesa High School.

Like other quintessential local debates ? we will avoid throwing the term NIMBY around unnecessarily ? the two sides of this argument bring valid points to the table.

Neighbors who do not want the lights installed say their quality of life will be diminished if all the Farm’s fields ? right now two of four have lights ? suddenly are bright later into the night. It’s an understandable position. On the other side, leaders of local youth sports groups are arguing that the extra time the lights would allow is desperately needed to accommodate the growing number of kids involved in soccer, baseball, softball, etc. That’s a point that is difficult to refute.

The city’s parks and recreation commission has taken a firm stand on the issue, siding, not surprisingly, with the sports leagues and calling on the city to spend $1 million next year to add lights at the Farm. The City Council is set to consider the spending next month as it goes through its 2006-07 budget.

At this point, just what the council will decide is unclear. What isn’t uncertain is that both sides of the argument will be lobbying the council hard in the coming weeks, efforts that have already begun. Council members are sure to hear much argument from the neighbors who don’t want these lights built. But they should make the tough decision to add these lights for two compelling reasons.

The first is the undeniable need for more sports fields in town. The council is quite familiar with this lack, having dealt with the city’s at-times controversial joint-use agreement ? the Newport-Mesa Unified School District governs the use of school fields. Adding the lights will help alleviate this problem.

The second is that there already are lights at the Farm. If the other two fields there are lighted, nearby houses would not suddenly be flooded with lights where there now is pitch darkness. Although additional lights will be a bit of a burden, they will not offer the dramatic hardship that they would at a sports complex where there is no nighttime use. The Farm Sports Complex is the logical place to add lights.

The council should vote to get this work done.