Proposed new stadium features at Monterey High School raise concern for neighbors

Friday night lights could soon be a reality at Monterey High School for the first time.

“The entire project is for our kids who deserve this and for the generation of alumni still living in this area,” MHS principal Tom Newton said.

Passed by voters last year, a multi-million dollar project will add a new weight room, new multipurpose facility, more seats to the football stadium and 70-80 foot lights above the field.

It’s the towering lights that some neighbors are worried about.

“Those lights being down the hill from us will not only be shining in the houses nearby, but up the hill just because our topography,” president of the Monterey Vista Neighborhood Association Pat Venza said.

Newton met with about 30 neighbors, including Venza, this morning for a discussion on the new projects. Up until that point, the neighborhood association felt like they’d been left out all together.

“There was no outward motion from MPUSD to bring in the neighborhood to get our input. That’s just the neighborly thing to do,” Venza said.

Newton says he wants neighbors to be involved, but he also wants the best for his students.

“We have only one field that’s usable here, and we have the largest about of athletes of the peninsula schools. Having to share one field… it’s a safety issue and it’s really just a problem for our student athletes and our student body in general,” Newton said.

There is a month long public review period that ends Monday, and the neighborhood association is submitting their letter asking for more reassurance the additions won’t hurt their area with more late night events and more people parked in the neighborhood.

“You are affecting us…all this traffic and parking is going to flow into our neighborhood and old town,” Venza said.

“It’s community field that everyone can enjoy, and we’re not trying to have our student athletes here at 9:00 p.m. every night. That would be ridiculous,” Newton said.

If all goes as planned, Newton says they expect to break ground on some of these projects starting fall of this year. There will be a public hearing to discuss the new facilities September 24.