James River's light proposal delayed for public meeting

Commissioners called a timeout earlier this month on a request by James River High's booster club to install lighting on a school baseball field.

The case has been deferred for 30 days to hold a community meeting on the proposal in early January. The club wants to install six 70-foot light poles on one of James River's baseball fields.

Several adjoining property owners from the Riverdowns subdivision attended the commission meeting because they're concerned about light and noise spilling over onto their properties.

According to the county's ordinance, the illumination from exterior lighting at a property line adjacent to single-family residential districts is limited to five-tenths foot-candle.

Under the booster club's proposal, the illumination at the school's property line will be approximately 1.95 foot-candle. There's a 40-foot drainage easement located between the school and adjoining residential properties. When that easement is factored in, the lighting would meet the county's ordinance. There also are tall pines between the school and neighboring homes to help reduce the light spillage.

"The current design is very close to meeting the ordinance on its own," reads a letter from Icon Sign & Lighting, the Farmville company that would be installing the lighting, "but Musco [the lighting manufacturer] cannot prove on paper that the ordinance is most likely being met due to the knock down from the evergreens currently surrounding the property."

Property owner Christopher Shepherd supported last week's deferral.

"The fear is in the unknown," Shepherd told commissioners. "There's word of an impending lease … of leasing the ball field out to other parties."

Gerald O'Connor, another nearby property owner, said there is already a problem with noise when the field is used on weeknights.

Midlothian Commissioner Reuben Waller acknowledged he has heard of plans to lease the field.

"The lease issue between the applicant and the county is not directly tied to the land-use issue before us … but it connects to the issue of intensity and who will be playing there," Waller said.

Waller asked for the deferral to hold a community meeting with nearby residents and address questions about the lighting.

Late last week there were reports that the booster club may be modifying its proposal to meet the county's lighting restrictions. If that happens, it would not require approval by the commission.

Matoaca Commissioner Wayne Bass was presented with a resolution recognizing his service to the county during his last meeting.

Commissioners are appointed by their supervisors, and Matoaca Supervisor Marleen Durfee was defeated during November's election.