Politics & Government

Madisonians Object to Chatham Twp. Lighting Regulations

Madison neighbors raise concerns as ordinance passes.

As expected, the township passed an ordinance at its meeting Thursday that will regulate the lighting of athletic fields within the municipality. But residents from Madison who oppose the matter made sure they had their opinions heard before the measure became law.

The ordinance is intended to create rules surrounding the placement of lights at athletic fields within the township. The proposal stipulates that the height of lights at a sports facility cannot exceed 85 feet, the minimum distance from the pole to a property line must be 40 feet and a natural landscape buffer must be maintained to the greatest extent possible.

Township Committee members insisted the ordinance covers all fields, and doesn't pertain to a single field within the municipality. But Madison residents who live adjacent to the School District of the Chathams' Cougar Field have maintained the law is tailored to allow lights to be placed at the field.

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They have said the lights, if placed at the location under the current ordinance, would harm their quality of life. They reiterated that point at Thursday's meeting.

"We feel, as neighbors, this ordinance does not offer adequate protection," Diane Driscoll said.

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Fellow Madison resident Carol Preston reminded the committee that Madison is developing 49 acres of property for a lighted field and recreation complex off of Ridgedale Road. She said Chatham entities would be invited to use that facility once it's open so they wouldn't need to use a lighted Cougar Field.

She also said sports taking place there wouldn't bother anyone.

But township officials held strong to their principles and passed the law without incident.

Deputy Mayor Kevin Tubbs said it wasn't necessarily a simple decision to do so.

"This whole issue for me is not an easy issue," he said, adding that he was sympathetic to the needs of the community.

But, he said, "I'm also sympathetic to the needs of the community and the needs of the Chathams."

Township Adminstrator Thomas Ciccarone noted that at a previous committee meeting June 10, lighting expert Robert Newell said there was no way lights placed at Cougar Field would meet foot candle requirements under the new ordinance.

But that wasn't for the Township Committee to decide, Ciccarone said. Each group that wants to put lights at a particular property must receive a permit to do so, and if they do not, they would not be able to place the lights in that particular location.


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