DARIEN, Conn. Dariens young football players will have brighter fields when they practice at the high school this fall. The town amended its zoning regulations Tuesday night to allow lights to be temporarily raised from 20 feet to 30 feet.
The Planning and Zoning Commission granted the Darien Junior Football League a one-year special permit to use the higher temporary lights. The league had requested a five-year permit, but it was reduced to one because commission members wanted the league to have a year to test the higher lights and find the right adjustments before granting a longer permit.
The league will be allowed to use the 30-foot lights at Darien High School for its practices this fall. During that time, the league will have to find the best way to angle the lights in order to reduce glare to surrounding properties. The lights will only be used during the week until 7 p.m.
The commission will review a report from the league in February, as well as any comments or complaints from neighbors, before deciding whether to grant a permit for more than one year.
The Darien Junior Football League requested that the zoning regulations be changed to allow higher lights because it felt they would better illuminate the fields and create a safer practice environment for the players. The league had experts conduct tests on the field using 30-foot lights and found that it did not create any additional trespass light onto neighboring properties.
Some neighbors have complained about the 20-foot lights, saying that they created a glow and glare that shined light directly into neighboring homes. The DJFL has said that, by increasing the height of the lights, they will be able to better angle them in order to reduce the impact on surrounding properties.
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