City OK's soccer lights

The Columbia Falls board of adjustment voted unanimously last week to approve a variance that would enable Columbia Falls High School to put in two 60-foot light poles on the east side of the school soccer field.

Last year the city approved a similar variance that allowed the school to put four lights on the west side, but a winter season with early-evening darkness proved that more lights would be necessary to eliminate shadows and improve safety at the field.

The height standards for the property are 30 feet.

Board member Alida Wright asked activities director Troy Bowman whether the school would change the angle of the four existing lights when the new lights are constructed. Bowman responded that the lights currently illuminate the parking lot, which reduces risk for exiting students and players, so they probably wouldn’t change them.

Board member Roger Newman inquired whether the school wouldn’t want four more lights instead of two, and Bowman said that would be “overkill.”

Bowman also noted that with the lights, games could start later, alleviating any inconvenience for students, game officials, and parents who might have had to leave school or work early for games.

Doug Karper, retiring head of maintenance at the high school, also supported the variance, noting, “It will make the complex really what we hoped it would be.”

There was no public comment in opposition of the variance. The board said they’d received one letter in opposition, but the complaints therein had been addressed by the school.