Oakdale Planning Commission Raises Questions About Tanner's Lighting Project, Continues Hearing

The Oakdale Planning Commission decided to continue a public hearing on changing city law to allow 70-foot lights at the ball field at its next meeting to get answers to a few of their questions about the project.

Commissioners said they wanted to know whether other field lighting in town is 70 feet tall, and whether the lights can be approved in such a way that they don't open the door for other ball field lighting projects without special approval.

City law currently allows lights up to 30 feet, but under a proposed ordinance change, lights up to 70 feet tall would be allowed for public recreational uses.

Planning Commission member Kimberly Johnson said she understands the need for lighted ball fields, but she wants to know if the lights at Walton Park are 70 feet tall.

“If that’s the case, (70-foot-tall lights) are what we’ve been doing, I don’t see why we shouldn’t do the same thing there as well,” Johnson said.

Commission member Duane Ellertson said he preferred to handle the request by passing a special use permit or variance rather than changing city law.

“I would hate to pass this thing and all of a sudden find out that we’re lighting every neighborhood field in the city with 70 foot lights,” he said. “All the ball fields, all of them are in neighborhoods and I think each one is an individual case.”

Park neighbor Jerry Belisle said lights would detract from Tanner’s Lake Park’s natural setting, and he’d prefer to see lighting at a school.

“They’re talking about putting this kind of a light 50 feet from the shore of the lake,” he said. “It’s just, I think, totally out of place there.”

The Oakdale Athletic Association and City of Oakdale first tried working with School District 622 on , however due to costs and , the Oakdale City Council chose to focus on .

The Oakdale Planning Commission’s next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 6.