Local News in Brief : Victory for Soccer Players

Youth soccer triumphed over neighborhood concerns when the Torrance City Council approved the installation of night lights on ball fields at a elementary school in a residential area on the west side of the city.

Council members approved the $70,000 lighting project on a 4-3 vote on Tuesday night after hearing two hours of testimony from soccer fans who want the lights at Victor Elementary School and neighborhood residents concerned about possible traffic, parking, noise, litter and crime problems.

Resident Albert Avoian presented petitions signed by neighbors of the Spencer Street school warning that night lighting would attract more than just soccer players and would hinder the “quiet enjoyment of tax-paying residents.”

But Frank Scotto, a coach in the popular American Youth Soccer Organization, countered with his own set of petitions from soccer fans who say there are not enough ball fields available for practice after dark.

After considering various approaches to settle differences between the neighborhood and soccer fans, the council agreed to let the night-lighting project proceed while city and school officials develop a plan to control use of the ball fields and determine liability in the event of any injury.