Worcester Passes Lighting Ordinance

The Worcester Board of Supervisors unanimously passed the long-reviewed Lighting Ordinance at a special meeting, April 2.

The vote came immediately after the second public hearing of the ordinance. The ordinance allows athletic field lights to be installed at Methacton High School.

According to Worcester Township solicitor Jim Garrity, the second public hearing was called due to revisions of the ordinance made after the first hearing, Jan. 16.

“When we had the first public hearing of this ordinance, there were a number of suggested changes from Methacton School District and the neighbors,” Garrity said.

Such changes included:

• Definitions – the ordinance now features definitions used throughout, such as “Glare” and “Independent Lighting Consultant.”

• Pole Height Limit – the ordinance changed the height of the light poles from the previous 100-feet limit to not exceeding 85-feet in height.

• Measurement of Footcandles – Garrity said that there was a great deal of discussion at the first public hearing about where to measure the footcandles in relation to property lines.

• Painted Black – should light shine on a fixture or piece of metal, the piece of metal would have to be painted in a way that will eliminate further illumination that would cause glare.

• Independent Lighting Consultant – Another source of large discussion from the first public hearing, the township will retain an independent lighting professional to review the design of the proposed lighting system for full compliance of conditional use.

• Amplified Sound – A clarification was made for the use of a PA system. The first draft of the ordinance gave examples of announcing scores or identifying players, while the revised ordinance also cites the playing of the National Anthem or recorded music for cheerleading and color guard with adjusted volume levels.

[The approved Lighting Ordinance may be read in detail in the media gallery of this article]

Moving Forward

While the April 2 special meeting was not as well attended as previous Lighting Ordinance meetings, representatives from both the Methacton School community and neighboring Worcester residents were present. Both sides seem to be optimistically cautious toward the passing of the ordinance. 

“It’s a very positive, big first step,” Lois Byrne, Lower Providence resident, said. “But, it doesn’t mean we have lights yet.”

Byrne, who authored an online petition advocating the athletic field lights, noted that several more legal proceedings must now be followed before construction begins.

According to Art Bustard, Worcester Board of Supervisors chairman, the school district must now ask the township for approval to erect the athletic field lights at a conditional-use hearing. During this hearing, the school district will present a field-use policy, which will be considered by the township Board of Supervisors.

“I was very pleased with it,” Bustard said of the approved ordinance. “We worked very hard to get this through, and this is the framework the school board will work with to get the lights on the field.”

Public comments after the ordinance was passed may hint that contention over the lights usage may be heard during the conditional-use hearing, such as how often the lights will be turned on.

“We will pay the price for having them,” Jeannie Steizerwalt, Worcester resident, said.

According to the ordinance, use of the lighted field is restricted to certain ending times six days a week, excluding Sundays. Steizerwalt said she was concerned that the added traffic may also lead to the need for a township police force (the Pennsylvania State Police currently patrols the township) or more traffic lights, which, she said, would lead to increased taxes.

Bustard said that it is now up to the school district as to when they are ready to schedule a conditional-use hearing before the board of supervisors.

Eric Frey, whose law firm, Dischell Bartle and Dooley, represents Methacton School District in matters concerning the athletic field lights, said that the changes made in the approved ordinance should not be an issue.

“We reviewed the ordinance, we can comply, and we’re ready to move forward,” Frey said.