10-27-88 Agenda & Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MEMO TO: PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSIONERS FROM: MARY SAARION, DIRECTOR , • PARKS, RECREATION AND FORESTRY DATE: OCTOBER 4 , 1988 SUBJECT: PARK SECURITY LIGHTING The Capital Improvement Plan has security lighting needs as an item for 1989 expenditures. The amount totals $2 , 656. 00. Staff suggests that the Park and Recreation Commission begin to discuss this item now so that when spring arrives, the security lighting improvements can be installed. Staff has surveyed each park ' s lighting needs. Security lighting and activity lighting are two different items and should be defined for discussion. Security lighting is lighting which is used during dark hours , usually on a photo cell electrical timer. The purpose of this lighting is for the safety of the park facilities from vandals and the safety of users. Curfew for park use is 10 :00 p.m. During the summer evenings darkness is approaching at 10 : 00 p.m. and activities have concluded. The lastest softball games are scheduled to begin at 7 : 30 p.m. and rarely extend past 9 : 00 p.m. During the skating season, the rinks close at 9 : 00 p.m. on school nights and 10 : 00 p.m. on non-school • nights. This is the latest that scheduled activities are held at the parks. During this dark time, activity lights are on from 4 : 00 - 10 : 00 p.m. Activity lights are designed to provide light for night-time recreational activity. This light needs to be bright enough to provide adequate vision for safe play. Typically, activity lighting is an option to extend daytime play opportunity into dark hours thus providing more hours of playing time. Common lighted activity facilities include tennis courts, softball and baseball fields, football and soccer fields, volleyball courts, and hockey and skating rinks. The lighted activity facilities in the City of Mounds View parks are the hockey and skating rinks and tennis courts. The hockey rinks are sufficiently lighted except that the lights are old and energy deficient (except for Hillview, which are new and cost effective ) . The tennis courts at Groveland and Greenfield are well lit. The skating rinks that need improved lighting are : Lambert and Woodcrest Parks. Lambert pleasure skating rink lies on the softball infield. Lights are directed from the hockey rink poles to the rink. However, they are too far away to be very effective. The parking lot light is a very costly fixture and the pole which it is mounted to is too short • for effective lighting.