New lighting coming to Noyes Complex

By Chris Fortune

Players at the tennis courts and horseshoe area will benefit from more efficient lighting at the Noyes Complex.

City council members approved the use of $275,000 in parks sales tax funds to replace the current lights at the 23-acre complex at 402 S. Noyes Boulevard.

The current lighting systems covering the 12 tennis courts and 16 horseshoe courts will be replaced with LED lights to provide more energy efficiency and a safer experience for players.

Parks, Recreation and Civic Facilities Director Chuck Kempf said the new lighting systems will utilize more technology and automation. Some park maintenance employees will be able to control the lights from an app on their phones.

“If we get a call at midnight from a neighbor that says the lights are still on, we’ll be able to turn them off from the app instead of somebody having to get out and go over to the complex and turn them off,” Kempf said.

Kempf said people who live around athletic facilities can be disturbed by the excess light that comes with them.

The new lights will be placed where more light hits the courts and horseshoe areas and less light extends outside of the field of play.

“It should brighten up the area on the courts, and it should eliminate what is kind of called in the industry, light pollution,” Kempf said.