Traffic Congestion
Adding so many additional cars on the road during evening hours would alter traffic flows and cause more inconvenience to local residents without offsetting public benefits.
Noise Pollution
Light Pollution
Parking Shortages
Wildlife Protections
We Really Don’t Need More Traffic!
MCHS is located in the middle of one of the most heavily trafficked sections of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, which is itself a major east-west corridor that connects Ross Valley residents to their homes and broader Marin county residents to essential services such as Marin General Hospital.
Traffic along Sir Francis Drake already suffers such congestion that the County recently spent nearly $18 million to try to alleviate the traffic problem between US 101 and the Town of Ross. Even after this project, the traffic flow rates a grade of C, according to the County. MC is in the middle of this heavily impacted 2.2 mile stretch.
MCHS is already a significant contributor to this congestion. MCHS is a private “commuter’ school where more than 85% of the 800+ students and staff do not live in the local community. The daily influx of this many visitors into the valley causes significant parking shortages and traffic jams, especially during the morning and evening peak commute hours when local residents are also trying navigate to and from their schools and work.
If permanent night lights are installed, MCHS intends to bring off-campus practices onsite. thereby pushing the departure of these students from earlier in the afternoon into peak rush hour traffic.
Contrary to MCHS assertions, many students live closer to off-site practices than MCHS so this would not reduce gas emissions, but it would add to outbound rush hour traffic. Additionally, students whose practices are pushed later into the evening likely will leave and return, thereby creating a second wave of traffic from/to the school during peak evening rush hour.
Game nights – especially Friday nights- would result in a huge influx of more than a thousand visitors during peak evening rush hour, and even larger outflows of traffic at the end of events. Although there is less overall motorized traffic later in the evening, studies have shown that up to 50% of collisions involving fatalities occur at night.
Thus, in 2016, the CDA correctly concluded:
“Placing this many additional vehicles on the road during the Friday p.m. peak hours would alter traffic flows at the already impacted intersections in the vicinity of the school causing more inconvenience to others in the neighborhood without offsetting that inconvenience with public benefits. Moreover, any increase to traffic volumes at such magnitude could contribute to the existing challenge ambulances and other emergency vehicles face in reaching Marin General Hospital.”
About The Traffic
Studies have shown that up to 50% of collisions involving fatalities occur at night.
Next Meeting:
Dec 10, 2024
More Significant Negative Impacts
Night Noise. Night Lights. Night Traffic.
Parking Shortages
MCHS does not have enough onsite parking for nightime events, so they plan to let spectator parking spill over into the neighborhood. Converting local streets into short-term event parking is unlawful and dangerous.
Noise Pollution
Daytime game noise is already so loud in some homes that folks have to keep the windows closed, otherwise it sounds like the game is being played in their backyard. Imagine suffering through this virtually every night of the school year!
Light Pollution
Skyglow and glare is of significant concern for Ross Valley residents due to the topography of the area. Light pollution from the towering 99.5-foot light structures will disrupt the natural night sky and adversely affect local wildlife.
Wildlife Protection
MCHS is adjacent to Hal Brown Creekside Park, which is a breeding area for the endangered Ridgway’s rail and salt marsh harvest mouse. Nighttime lights and crowd noise would negatively impact these and other animals.
Share Your Concerns
FAQs
Please reach out to us with any additional questions or concerns at: PreserveRossValley@gmail.com
Why does MCHS need permanent night lights?
They don’t. MCHS does not need field lights. The school has successfully operated without field lights for years.
However, MCHS wants field lights because they’ve chosen to pursue an aggressive marketing & growth strategy that, notwithstanding existing space constraints, relies heavily on unbridled expansions of its sports programs in order to attract elite athletes. (MCHS is a private school owned by the Archdiocese Of SF).
There are numerous student support programs that are far more appropriate for this site that would not impose significant negative impacts on Ross Valley and the surrounding environs.
How is this proposal different from prior MCHS proposals?
In 2012, MCHS promised to propose a plan that would light the stadium for only 10 evening events a year, specifically including only “five football games and five soccer or lacrosse matches.” As president Tim Navone explained, “…If there’s some trust that it really is just five times a year the community would be impacted, they’d be behind it and support it.”
The current plan proposes to light the stadium late for at least 135 night events per year, representing a 135% increase in usage!
Will this increase noise in the surrounding neighborhoods?
YES!
MCHS sits at the base of Ross Valley, which has a particular topography that acts as natural amphitheater amplifying noise generated from stadium events up into the surrounding residential neighborhoods and hillsides. The stadium noise is very loud and is not limited to cheers and boos, but also includes noise from stomping feet on aluminum bleachers, air horns, marching bands and crackling PA system announcements. MCHS’ president has suggested that if local residents are bothered by the noise, then “a trip to Costco, a hike on the mountain, or a visit to a friend’s house is in order.” REALLY? How are young children in the neighborhood supposed to sleep? Are the neighbors simply supposed to go on night hikes and live at Costco 135 nights a year?
Will this create more parking issues?
YES!
MC’s parking lot and neighboring lots at St. Sebastian church and Bacich Elementary School are not large enough to accommodate the cars for evening events. MC’s proposal acknowledges that parking will necessarily spill over into neighboring areas where the streets are already narrow and crowded with parked cars at night. Countless new visitors would only exacerbate this already serious problem.
Will this affect local wildlife?
YES!
Artificial light and noise pollution are one of the most widespread threats to biodiversity around the globe. It has numerous and severe impacts on wildlife, especially harming nocturnal wildlife, species active during twilight, insects, and migratory birds and bats. Artificial light and intrusive noise disrupts natural rhythms, influences predator-prey relationships, and hinders navigation, reproduction, nourishment and sleep.
Does the proposal include specific limits on noise levels and clear restrictions on days, times, and manner of usage?
NO!
Will this provide any significant benefits to Ross Valley residents?
No.
Marin Catholic High School retains exclusive control and use of the fields. MCHS is a tax-exempt private “commuter” school and it is estimated that less than 15% of its students and staff live within our Community. Although MCHS will clearly benefit from the proposed system, there are no significant benefits for Ross Valley residents. This is a fundamentally unbalanced equation: a private benefit, and a public cost.
What Our Community is Saying
“As you are well aware, Sir Francis Drake is a nightmare during rush hour. The additional Marin Catholic events could drag rush hour traffic out even later into the evening.”
Pam Salvadore
“As a resident living close to the school, I am deeply concerned about the increased noise and traffic congestion these lights will bring.”
“With the installation of lights, MC will shift practices and games to evenings and nights. The lights proposal goes far beyond allowing a limited number of Friday night football games. Restated the whole athletic program will undergo a time shift. The result will be a second commute period to/from MC.”
Larry Mansbach
“The lighting, glare, noise, and increased traffic at dusk and dark would substantially, negatively impact the calm and quiet of the surrounding residential areas, convenient traffic flow, and the unobstructed views from all sides of the field.”Bredan Fogarty
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It is estimated that over 700 cars would be going to the games and leaving the games. Sir Francis Drake Boulevard is already congested in the morning and evening commute. The road is impacted when schools start and let out. Adding over 700 cars to that single road would create a nightmare for local residents. The lighting of their athletic field would add nothing to the betterment of our area and would only increase noise and traffic problems.
Stephen Jaffe
“Sir Francis Drake is now the most heavily trafficked thoroughfare in Marin County and this proposal would only increase the number of cars on the road.”
Barbara Leopold
“I fear that the number of cars coming and going from MC, whether it be from night games or practices, will only extend the evening commute well into the later evening. This means more gridlock, more smog, and more noise.”
Tony Salvadore
“Are you thinking clearly? You want to increase traffic, increase pollution, and ruin the neighborhood, just so a private school [can] play football on Friday night instead of Saturday. Seriously, that is a very bad trade off for our community.”
“Why are long–term residents being asked to bear the burden of a private school’s lighting project? It is not a project that will benefit the community in any way, and will only further Marin Catholic’s private needs and desires…. Truly, enough is enough.”Yumi Esaka
“Will Marin County sacrifice the wellbeing of our schoolchildren so that football boosters can be entertained? …Marin Catholic has other options for finding field space and building nighttime sports facilities in neighborhoods is not something we should normalize. Prioritizing private football boosters over the thousands of local residents would set an ugly precedent for all Marin communities.”Ben Morris
Join Us In Protecting Our Community
We invite you to stand with us in preserving the tranquility of Ross Valley. Send us an email or letter, voluntter to help, or attend the upcoming community meeting to express your concerns about nighttime stadium events. Together, we can make a difference.