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Politics & Government

Elmhurst City Council OKs York Lights Proposal

New lights, sound ordinance will expire after 18-month trial period.

One of the more divisive local debates in recent history may come to an amicable end in two weeks.

Elmhurst City Council on Monday unanimously approved a allowing for generous use of stadium lights and public address system at York High School's Clarence D. East Field.

The proposal authorizes light use from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays. Lights also would be allowed from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturdays, but District 205 officials previously said they hope to restrict the use of lights to 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays.

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The public address system would only be used for scheduled games, and lights could not be used during Sundays. These rules would be enforced in the same manner as any other city ordinance.

The report calls for a review of ordinance effectiveness 12 months after implementation, and either a City Council extension of the ordinance or extension with modifications within 18 months.

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That committee report was heavily influenced by the recommendations of the city's Zoning and Planning Commission, as well as a community group assembled by District 205 called the York Community Advisory Council.

Development, Planning, and Zoning Committee Chairman Steve Morley said the advisory council was made up of people neither for nor against stadium lights.

"These people are 100 percent solution-committed folks, and they're to be commended for that," he said.

One game-changer in light negotiations was an anonymous $150,000 for new stadium lights that significantly reduce spill on neighboring properties. Morley said $100,000 already has been raised by the community to help reimburse the anonymous donor.

Other aldermen expressed relief that the issue appears headed soon toward a positive resolution. Fifth Ward Alderman Chris Healy said Monday that the debate over lights and sound at Clarence D. East Field was as an issue as he'd seen in his two years on the City Council.

His fellow 5th Ward alderman, Scott Levin, shared a similar sentiment.

"It's one of those issues where you see a lot of calls, and it was pleasant to see there was a mediated solution that didn't force us to choose sides," he said.

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