West Seattle 4th of July 2015: City’s plans for field lighting

Just in from Seattle Parks (we’ve truncated the location list to show West Seattle fields only – see the full list here):

Seattle Parks and Recreation will turn on field lighting on ballfields throughout the city on the evenings of Friday, July 3, and Saturday, July 4, to protect the surfaces. The ballfield lights will be turned on at 8:45 p.m. and will be turned off at either 10 p.m. or 11 p.m., depending on the field.

The lights will be turned on to discourage the use of fireworks. Fireworks are illegal in the city of Seattle and will destroy the artificial turf on the fields or surrounding facilities. The approximate replacement cost for the synthetic surface based on per average full-size field (110,000 square feet) is $1.2 million. All the fields have been renovated in the past several years and benefit field users including players of soccer, football, baseball, Ultimate Frisbee and lacrosse.

The fields will be monitored by security from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m.

Lights at the following fields will be turned off at 11 p.m.:

· Delridge Playfield, 4458 Delridge Way SW

· Hiawatha Playfield, 2700 California Ave. SW

· Walt Hundley Playfield, 6920 34th Avenue SW

6 Replies to "West Seattle 4th of July 2015: City's plans for field lighting"

  • Joe Szilagyi June 26, 2015 (12:11 pm)

    What about school facilities with synthetic fields?

    • WSB June 26, 2015 (1:48 pm)

      Seattle Parks has been doing this for at least four years; I don’t recall Seattle Public Schools doing it too, but I just doublechecked, and media relations tells me, no, no such plans for its synth fields. (Southwest Athletic Complex is the only SPS-owned synthetic athletic field in this area, I believe.)

  • doree June 26, 2015 (5:18 pm)

    The Seattle School dist. Will not be monitoring their fields The district security will be roving we used to monitor the fields but this year we ran out of money I’m very concerned for the safety of our buildings and our fields

  • Doree Fazio-Young June 26, 2015 (5:47 pm)

    The Seattle School dist will not be monitoring any of their synthetic turf fields The School Security will be roving all over the district I am very concerned for all of our buildings and fields with this weather and then add fireworks it could be very volital

  • Karen June 26, 2015 (7:11 pm)

    It seems like 10 pm is when things are just getting started. Why not leave the lights on all night?

  • PaulaB June 28, 2015 (10:51 am)

    Agree with Karen. The bad actors are just getting started at 10/11pm. Also, why don’t the schools coordinate volunteers to oversee the fields. If safety is an issue they could just call the district/police, but not get involved in confrontation.

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