Cardinal Gibbons High Wins Right For Friday Night Lights
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) -- Cardinal Gibbons High School has won a victory off the field for the right to play on the field at night. In a 6-to-2 vote, the Fort Lauderdale Planning Commission voted to allow the school to turn on its stadium lights.
The school installed the lights at the stadium three years after being given permission by the city which later reversed its decision and said the school violated land-use regulations because the light poles were more than 35 feet high. In addition, nearby residents complained the bright lights would destroy the tranquility of the neighborhood.
In order to win the vote, school officials accepted a number of conditions limiting the lights' use, according to The Sun Sentinel.
The school will use the lights for no more than 30 games a year unless one of its teams made post-season playoffs. That includes football, lacrosse, soccer and track and field.
The school also promised to provide off-site parking for fans, pay for extra police during games in the neighborhood, add landscaping around the lights and clean up the area after games. The lights couldn't be used for practices and would normally shut off no later than 10:30 p.m.
Despite the victory for Cardinal Gibbons with the Planning Commission, the City Commission has the authority to take up the issue for an additional debate.
