The City is going to create a glare and light nuisance if it continues on its plans to light Lower Woodland Park Playfield No. 1 to a class III lighting level.

The sign which is still posted at the playing field is misleading. It states: "Anticipated Impacts: Light the entire field using new lighting technology that shields glare in addition to providing appropriate lighting levels for baseball. The lighting system will be directed away from adjacent residential lots, per Seattle municipal code sec 23.44.022, which regulates standards from glare reduction."

This is misleading in that it does not state that this playing field will be lit 3-5 times brighter than any of the other playing fields in the area.

This is misleading in that it does not state that this will be the most brightly lit playing field that the City owns.

This is misleading in that it implies that the spill light will be well controlled, when in fact it will spill more light than any of the existing playing fields in Lower Woodland.

This is misleading in that it implies that section 23.44.022 gives meaningful regulation of lighting glare. It does not. The code simply says: "Light and Glare. Exterior lighting shall be shielded or directed away from adjacent residentially zoned lots. The Director may also require that the area and intensity of illumination, the location or angle of illumination be limited."

According to Eric Gold of the Parks Department, the City is lighting the playing field to Class III level for safety concerns and because it will be a playing field with bleacher seating.

This is misleading because: If safety is such a concern, why aren't the other playing fields with bleacher seating being lit to Class III? This playing field is situated right on a busy intersection (Green Lake Way and N. 50th Street). The sports field lighting will spill into the intersection and create a driving hazard. Clearly, the City is much more likely incur a lawsuit from a pedestrian fatality caused by a blinded motorist than a spectator being hit my a baseball.

- BRUCE WEERTMAN, Ballard, chairman of Dark Skies Northwest