Study Planned for MHS Athletic Field Lighting

• School Board Seeks State Panel’s OK

BY SUZANNE GULDIMANN

At its Sept. 4 meeting, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education took another step forward with plans to install permanent field lighting at Malibu High School’s athletic field.
The board was asked to approve an agreement with the firm of Glenn Lukos Associates for biologist study report services, described by the board as “a biological field study and recommendation for the athletic field lighting project, for the Measure BB program.”
The Orange County firm also provides landscape monitoring report services at MHS.
The meeting agenda stated that “The district is in the planning and design phase for the lighting of the athletic field at the Malibu High School. A biological study of the effects of the lighting will be required by the Coastal Commission prior to approval of the project.”
At its Aug. 21 meeting, the school board voted to approve hiring CAA Planning to facilitate negotiating a new Coastal Development Permit with the California Coastal Commission to allow permanent field lighting at the MHS athletic field.
That move has been sharply criticized by Malibu Park area residents, who contend that the athletic field was permitted with the condition that there would be no permanent field lighting.
Rental lights have been used for MHS’s nighttime athletic events. The existing coastal development permit prohibits both temporary and permanent field lighting.
Funding for the plan to develop permanent field lighting at the high school has been allocated as part of the Measure BB budget.