Escondido Resident wrote on Sep 8, 2008 11:15 PM:Obviously an effort to get Lori Holt Pfeiler to see what would happen if her precious high school bond were eventually to be approved.

Vote No on Prop T!

Solution Guy wrote on Sep 9, 2008 6:29 AM:I can think of five words to describe these neighbors and they start with NIMBY.

Silly wrote on Sep 9, 2008 7:38 AM:I live the next street over from SPSH and they have Friday night games all the time. The lights (and noise) are only during game time. You don't hear a constant buzzing when there's no activity at the school. These residents need to get over themselves. Sports are such a healthy community activity. Try attending a HS football game. It's filled with families and kids having a great time. Killjoys!

CR wrote on Sep 9, 2008 7:41 AM:Residents are always notified of upcoming hearings if they live within a certain distance of the project. They chose to ignore the mailed notice--they should be ignored by the council. They games are early in the evenings and should not adversely affect the residents--get a life, neighbors!

Kimmie wrote on Sep 9, 2008 7:55 AM:Can Lori cancel full moons? You know they are just to darn bright.

Patty wrote on Sep 9, 2008 8:27 AM:Then neighbors of Calvin Christian are not against the school having sports activities, they already have them all the time. The problem is that they are putting light poles and bleachers within 10-15 feet of the neighborhood back yards with no buffering. High school stadiums have buffering in the way they are built (look at Escondido high) to keep the sound in. During the day games Calvin has now, you can barely hear the person next to you speaking if you are in your yard..

No LIGHTS wrote on Sep 9, 2008 8:28 AM:Hey Janet,

Maybe Calvin Christian can sell their property to a developer of low income housing projects so you don't have to worry about the lights. Or at the very least they can lease the property to another church (check out the old North County Baptist Church on South Escondido Blvd). You could have a storage and auto repair yard next to a head start program teaming with the happy chatter of young children speaking their native languages.

Seriously be glad that you have them as a neighbor because it could be worst.

Put your money where your mouth is wrote on Sep 9, 2008 8:37 AM:If they allow these lights, it WILL affect property values and quality of life for the surrounding residents. Sounds like it will be another lawsuit for the city. The bloggers writing in favor, obviously won't be affected. You shouldn't comment unless you're willing to buy our homes.

To put your money wrote on Sep 9, 2008 10:19 AM:That's a lie, it will not affect property values. I lived next to Orange Glen high school for 22 years and loved Friday nights. It made the community come alive to see the youth and parents having such a good time. There were no complaints in my years living there. Maybe it's time for the rest home for you.

Affected Mom wrote on Sep 9, 2008 10:40 AM:We can see Calvin Christian from our home and hear Escondido High School football games. When we hear the cheering of the crowds and see the fields at EHS glowing it is a great feeling knowing that our community is out supporting our children in a positive way. Rather than complaining, these residents should see how the experience of night football games will be a positive experience for our youth and our community.

Steverino wrote on Sep 9, 2008 10:49 AM:I find it hard to believe that a school with a student population of 200 is going to be able to generate enough noise to disturb anybody. I'm reasonably certain that modern lighting technology would direct most of the light onto the field where it belongs.

Joe wrote on Sep 9, 2008 12:04 PM:Yes, make it a "if you don't want the lights, YOU HATE SCHOOLS" issue, councilmember Abed. Lights that are installed for a max of 22 nights have a tendency to creep to cover soccer games, rugby, and other sports. The attitude seems to be that if you don't want lights so that games can extend until 10pm all year round, then you obviously hate kids, hate sports, hate schools, etc.

Responding to NIMBYS wrote on Sep 9, 2008 12:05 PM:To That's a lie - When you purchased 22 yrs. ago, you chose to live near a football stadium, lights and the noise.
To Affected mom - Once the lights are in and the games begin, if we don't like the "experience of night football games" we won't be able to undo whats been done.
To Steverino - Let's build a stadium with lights next to your home. Let us know how you like it.

To Affected Mom wrote on Sep 9, 2008 12:10 PM:"Crowds cheering and fields glowing"
You just made our case.

Sounds like an endorsement wrote on Sep 9, 2008 12:31 PM:Abed said. "Everybody is going to oppose schools and lights, but where are we going to put our schools?"
This appears to be Sam's endorsement for Prop T and a new school near Citracado. Or does he only endorse faith based schools?

Deanna wrote on Sep 9, 2008 12:35 PM:I find this complaint very sad. Its not like its every night where the lights are on and the football game is being played. Instead of sitting in your backyard and complaining, walk over to the bleachers, sit down and watch the kids have fun...has it really been that long since you were once a kid? Why is the 2 1/2 hour game such a problem? I lived across the street from a school and yes the lights were bright, and yes the kids would scream and clap, but it brought a smile to my face knowing they were making memories and doing something productive rather than shooting each other. Embrace the kids, the lights for 2 1/2 hours and the laughter...its a great time...remember???

To Deanna wrote on Sep 9, 2008 12:49 PM:If you lived near a school, then you know the 2 1/2 hours you reference is lie. And 22 nights max. - that's a joke - can we get that in writing?

Calvin Graduate wrote on Sep 9, 2008 1:13 PM:this is really depressing to me as a graduate. i know how much the school & school community have been anticipating the tradition of football at calvin. It means alot to the students, faculty, and families to finally have this oppurtunity. Now after the lights were approved Janet & Simpson have added another wait period for calvin. They missed their chance to fight it! let calvin be. We have wanted this for so long, now "the community" wants to take it away. I agree with everyone who has said they should embrace this, maybe go to a game or two its very exciting! i also agree with those who say it could be worse. we students decided it would be better just to buy the property surrounding calvin so we could fit better bleachers and such.

Esco Local wrote on Sep 9, 2008 1:40 PM:I live .2 miles away from EHS, and I can tell you exactly what the score is on any given game night. I also have to listen to the same graduation speeches every year (believe me, they don't change much). Additionally, the stadium lights make it light enough to read. So I can understand what the Calvin folks are going through.

FallbrookKC wrote on Sep 9, 2008 3:20 PM:Too all of you who thinks is is great to have the football field behind your house try living. I moved behind Fallbrook High three years ago. Yes I knew there was a stadium behind me with lights. But the rise behind my house shieled the 45 foot lights and most of the noise. It was good until Fallbrook re-did their football field a year ago and put up 85 foot lights with blinking red lights on the top that constantly flashes into my bedroom. Plus they have had a couple of events that have lasted all weekend and have left the lights on all weekend. Is that a good neighbor. So you see the 22 days and 2 1/2 hours will last only until other people eye the field and say that would be a great place to hold this event. Fight until the end.

To Calvin graduate wrote on Sep 9, 2008 3:21 PM:Maybe they should concentrate on writing skills (capitalization, grammar and punctuation) not football!

taxpayer wrote on Sep 9, 2008 4:06 PM:from the article
City Council approval is not required for such projects
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
then keep these idiots out of it!
Who needs any member of this council? $$$ NOBODY $$$ -$8.9MILLION
VOTE NOV. 2008
anybody but a bed and a jug of gallo

give the kids the lights....sheesh!

Think of Someone Else wrote on Sep 9, 2008 4:15 PM:Here is a concept! Why don't the adults put the kids first instead of themselves! Give the kids some fun on Friday nights. I would rather have the kids at a school event rather than on the streets or getting into trouble. The San Diego Chargers are excited about Football. That is why they donated items to the school. Go Crusaders!!!!

januaryM wrote on Sep 9, 2008 4:15 PM:"Our Planning Commission has been very, very fair," Abed said. "Everybody is going to oppose schools and lights, but where are we going to put our schools?"
----------------------------------
Odd comming from A bed.
Check out last weeks council meeting.
I - 15 improvements ,when the council is being told Caltrans will move in the big lights to keep working on the improvements.A bed says...They better not be very bright that's my neighborhood.I dont want that!

Same old game for this council....
Please don something YOU can feel good about.VOTE Nov 2008
Goodbye Abed Gallo
---------------------------------------
I used to live near Orange Glen HS and what light my neighborhood got we enjoyed...it also keeps down criminal activity. Get off the couch and go to a game! Its fabulous to enjoy a bit of youth again.RAH! RAH! RAH! Give them the lights and shut up!

Mr.ED wrote on Sep 9, 2008 4:25 PM:To JANET
Helpful hints*
to keep out unwanted light
*Close your blinds
*Draw the drapes
*Pull the shades down

to keep out unwanted sounds
(while watching Get Smart)
*close windows
*turn on a fan
*turn on some music

Stop with this nonsense you bully!

Bill wrote on Sep 9, 2008 5:16 PM:As a former EHS Cougar, I can see how people might think a football game is a positive experience, now that Chick Embry has retired!

Neighbor wrote on Sep 9, 2008 5:17 PM:It was my understanding from Calvin that it was only a few nights a year that they would actually have the lights on. If they say this is the case, why wouldn't they stick to it. If they are living out thier "word" they will stick to it down to the minute! I am saddened by my neighbors who would protest this at such a late notice. Where has the community gone?

Be a good neighbor wrote on Sep 9, 2008 6:17 PM:It amazes me how people can tell these residents they are wrong. Let the kids have their lights. You're being mean!!
#1 - You don't live here & it won't affect your standard of living.
#2 - Buy our properties and you can donate it to Calvin.
#3 - When was the last time YOU complained about YOUR neighbors having a party or get together late in the evening. Hay, their just having fun, leave them alone.
#4 - If we were to allow the lights, what happens if it gets out of hand, what will our options be?
#5 - You shouldn't comment unless you're in our situation. At the end of the game, you'll go home and it'll be over for you.
#6 - Make an agreement with the EHSD to use the field at EHS. It's a block away and you'll be a good neighbor.

Innocent Bystander wrote on Sep 9, 2008 6:18 PM:Kudos to Pfeiler for doing the right thing; this is still (so far) America, where every citizen gets his say, not Soviet Russia where where the Supreme Soviet decides what's good for you.

The opposers will probably fail, but here's an idea: make lemonade out of these lemons you've been given. Slap together a concesstion stand in your backyard, and sell pom-poms, sparklers, pennants, sodas, popcorn, peanuts, video's of last week's game, Cal Christ'n Booster pins, etc. to the crowd. Three hours of work a week could net you enough to make a house payment.

Heck, lay down a small dance floor and play music during halftime and after-game. I bet the kids would love it (and you).

calvin Graduate wrote on Sep 9, 2008 8:18 PM:yeah i know i didnt use capitalization, punctuation, or grammar cuz really i dont care about that. thats not the point. calvin has a great academic reputation & sports arent their top priority! i have no desire to use proper grammar on somthing this informal.

To Calvin grad wrote on Sep 9, 2008 8:41 PM:You don't care that you represent your school? Or is it that you ARE the finished result (and attitude) of the education you received there?
And now you expect the community to stand behind your cause.
Attitude is everything!

What would Jesus do wrote on Sep 9, 2008 9:17 PM:Is the blogger "Calvin grad" the best representation of this schools contribution to our community? If so, the parents who pay to have their kids attend are being taken. A public school can do better.
As for the lights, has the school worked with the residents as to a compromise?

Calvin Graduate wrote on Sep 9, 2008 9:21 PM:Alright, i guess i should have paid more attention to my grammar. I was in a hurry to finish, I do realize that I represent Calvin. Its not Calvin's that fault I have chosen to misuse what I have been taught. I chose to rush through this process as a result of frustration. Im sorry if my attitude protrayed in my writing style is misrepresenting Calvin, that was not my intention. I am very greatful for my education at Calvin, which is why i feel so strongly about the topic.

Priorities wrote on Sep 9, 2008 9:48 PM:If my vote is based on the academic excellence of a Calvin graduate. I'd say forget football, your students need life skills.

Matt wrote on Sep 9, 2008 11:22 PM:i can understand these residents needs...i lived a block away from a local high school and i can tell you those lights were on nearly every night of the week for practice, etc..and although the noise is a happy noise, people did not move to this street to be near it

Do whats right wrote on Sep 10, 2008 8:13 AM:I just pulled up an aerial view of Calvin's football field on Google maps.
There appears to be plenty of room to relocate the football field along Broadway and move the baseball diamond to the northeastern corner. Very poor planning on the football fields current location. The school needs to be a good neighbor and do what's right!

To Do whats right wrote on Sep 10, 2008 9:02 AM:If you would like to pay for the exchange of fields, I sure the school officials would like to hear from you. The school has been there for over 40 years. How about the residents?? How long have they been there? No one complained about the noise when the school donated all its time and facilities to the community during the wildfires. What compensation did the school get out of that? Nothing! What part of community are you not getting!! Those people had their time to speak and chose not to. The process for the permits was executed and the people sat there and did nothing. To late!!

True Christian wrote on Sep 10, 2008 9:19 AM:I'm sure during the "process for the permits" the school didn't take the initiative to do what's right. That would entail contacting your neighbors and having a discussion about your plans to come up with an equitable solution for all parties involved.
Don't count your chickens, it's never to late!
The wild fire and compensation comment - now that's a true christian!

I agree wrote on Sep 10, 2008 9:35 AM:with Do What's Right. It would only take a couple of weekends and a small amount of materials to relocate the existing fields. I'm sure that some of your students have parents in the construction fields. You'll be able to make improvements and install your lights at the same time. It could become a community project, bring people together and save your relationship with your neighbors.
That's what Jesus would do!

Look before you leap wrote on Sep 10, 2008 1:36 PM:I looked at the football field and nearby homes on Google Maps.
It appears the track around the field is right on the property line with the homes. Where are the lights going to be mounted? Is there a required easement? Is this legal and did anyone inspect the site before they OK'ed the lights?

Patty wrote on Sep 10, 2008 1:56 PM:To all who looked on google maps, you get my point, the bleachers and lights are 10-15 feet from my back yard, I can't imagine how anyone could think that the lights and noise won't affect the neighbors. (by the way, Calvin did come by to talk to a few neighbors-they tried to pressure us into signing a form saying that we did not have a problem with the lights-they did succeed with a 70+ year old woman who said she didn't understand what she was signing)
Also to the person who said that the school was there over 40 yrs-get your facts right-it was put in in the early 80's-and the field was installed much later.

To Patty wrote on Sep 10, 2008 3:13 PM:I would copy, paste and forward these suggestions to all the city council and planning members. It appears that this permit process was pushed through and if you dig deep you'll find their mistakes.

Perfect wrote on Sep 10, 2008 4:23 PM:Don't put up the lights. Instead, have some of these parents of students in the construction field bring their portable lights fixtures and set them up all around the field. Then they can use lights as many nights as they want! Everyone wins!

Patty wrote on Sep 10, 2008 5:09 PM:Thank you all for your suggestions. I went online and found that all (that I could find) the schools that Calvin play do have their home games at a local high school. Calvin did this last year and it would be a solution to the kids wanting to have the night game experience along with not upsetting the neighbors.

To Perfect wrote on Sep 10, 2008 5:30 PM:And every night they're left unattended they will probably be vandalized by some upset neighbor with a BB gun. Those bulbs are expensive. If you mess with a persons home, they can get pretty upset. You may want to work with your neighbors.

Cant we all get along wrote on Sep 10, 2008 5:41 PM:This is giving Christians a bad name.

Why now wrote on Sep 10, 2008 8:35 PM:I am pretty sure, being a neighbor to Calvin who got both letters from the city about the lights, that there was plenty of time to argue this before it came to the day the permit was to get issued.
Where were these complaints at the first city council hearing? From going over and actually talking to the folks at Calvin, they are taking every possible step to do this the right way. My fellow neighbors who back up to the field may be the directly affected, but then why don't you complain when the school is having daytime football and soccer games and track meets where the starting gun fires and the crowd is cheering loudly? Should they move all home football games to another site so they don't make too much noise during the afternoon? You won't be the only ones to see the lights on.
I don't get the beef you have with this plan. It sounds like you don't like Calvin and you are going to make it known to the rest of the communiity. Again I ask, what's the problem?
One last thing..I don't buy the pressureing someone into signing anything.

to Patty wrote on Sep 10, 2008 8:44 PM:did you have to pay the $1,400???

To Why Now wrote on Sep 11, 2008 9:32 AM:With a game played at 3pm most people are at work or out doing something. By 7pm most people are home and may want to relax (your home should be your sanctuary). That 7pm game may end by 9, but with cleanup the lights may not be turned off till 10:30pm or later. Get it!!

Good idea wrote on Sep 11, 2008 11:39 AM:Let's set up portable lights 10 - 15 ft. from the rear of the homes of the people that don't see a problem with this. I will volunteer to go to their home to turn them on and off. The time between 7pm - 9:30pm I'll leave a boom box playing. Let's do this for a year and see how you like it. A year would be fair considering the residents who live next to this field will endure this for the rest of their life.

A Few Facts wrote on Sep 12, 2008 8:49 AM:Because of the concerns with the lights being close to the neighbors, Calvin will spend extra money for special lights with louvers in the bulbs to direct the light down onto the field. The light spillover at the nearest residential structure is ½ to 1 candlepower – about the same as a full moon. These lights will have much less light spillover than the lights at any City park, or at public school facilities (which do not need a City permit for field lights). The lights will be on for 5-6 home football games a year and approximately 10 soccer games (which end at 8:00 p.m.).

Three separate notices were mailed to all residents within 500 feet of the school; notice of the project, notice of a neighborhood meeting and notice of the planning commission meeting. Only one resident spoke against the proposal at the neighborhood meeting. The other two people present did not oppose the lights; one was in favor, and the other simply requested that the lights be 45 feet tall (not 70 feet as staff was suggesting).

No one spoke in opposition at the Planning Commission.

The rationale for the decision to appeal the planning commission decision seems to be in essence an argument for either abolishing the planning commission or for repealing the requirement of an appeal fee.

Finally, and most gallingly, the decision to grant the appeal rewards an almost complete lack of community participation in the process by the very few people actually opposed to the project. As noted, no one spoke in opposition at the planning commission.

RE Few Facts wrote on Sep 12, 2008 11:12 PM:Thanks for sharing this with us! It's nice to see that all the proper steps were taken.