Soccer Players Win Approval of Floodlights on School Field : Redondo Beach: But the City Council says no lights after 8 p.m. and on weekends. Neighbors complain the area already is over-lit.

Despite neighbors’ protests that one man’s lighted soccer field is another man’s over-lit back yard, the Redondo Beach City Council has agreed to install floodlights on a playing field at Alta Vista elementary school.

On a 4-1 vote Tuesday, the council agreed to install the lights at a cost of $77,500 so that children in the South Redondo American Youth Soccer Organization would not have to practice in the dark during the winter and fall.

The council also stipulated that the lights be turned out at 8 p.m. and that the field be dark on Saturday and Sunday nights.

But the decision infuriated the field’s neighbors, who said the area, at the corner of Knob Hill and Prospect avenues, is already over-lit and congested with traffic from a school, a preschool, several churches, a lighted Little League field and lighted tennis courts.

“We need some peace and quiet too,” complained Nancy Brightwell, who lives only a few hundred yards from the soccer field.

Another neighbor complained that, over the years, the area has “started to look like Dodger Stadium,” because so many playing fields are lighted.

Bob Atkinson, director of recreation and parks for Redondo Beach, said the conflict stems from a shortage of recreational space in the booming beach cities. Over the years, he said, most of the land available for development has been used up in Redondo Beach, leaving relatively little space open for organized sports such as softball, baseball and soccer.

At the same time, he said, the city’s sports leagues--particularly its soccer leagues--are burgeoning. Although there actually are far fewer school-aged children in Redondo Beach now than there were 25 years ago, he said he believes that the percentage who participate in organized sports is higher. And except for the Little League teams, whose members must live in the city, the Redondo Beach leagues are drawing more and more of their membership from surrounding inland cities such as Torrance and Lawndale.

Competition has been especially fierce for the city’s six lighted playing fields, which on some nights are crowded until 11 p.m. with up to four scheduled games. Alta Vista, Atkinson added, is particularly popular because it has a concession stand, which helps the teams make money for equipment and uniforms.

“All the facilities are used to capacity. Essentially, there’s no more space to be given” without installing lights to extend playing times, Atkinson said.

Councilman Ron Cawdrey, who voted in favor of the lighted soccer field, agreed.

“The problem we have in this city is, we don’t have enough parks and I don’t think we’ll never have enough parks,” he said. “But if we don’t give the kids something to do, they’ll find something--kids need channeled events.”

But Councilman Stevan Colin, who cast the lone dissenting vote, said: “I wouldn’t want this in my neighborhood. I know what comes with lighted fields--you have people who won’t leave the area.”

Councilwoman Barbara Doerr, who represents the area that includes Alta Vista school, initially opposed the lights but decided to support their installation when Mayor Brad Parton proposed the 8 p.m. curfew.