Preserve Ross Valley, a group dedicated to protecting the natural beauty of Ross Valley, has filed a lawsuit against Marin Catholic High School (MC) in disagreement with the approval of installing lights on the Kentfield campus’s athletic turf football field.
The lawsuit claims that “the Board of Supervisors, which approved the lights plan on Dec. 17, violated the California Environmental Equality Act (CEQA) by granting exemptions from environmental review that the plaintiffs contend did not apply to field lights.”
This approval allowed for the installation of four 80-foot-tall light poles on the field. The lawsuit is pushing for a full environmental review, which they believe should have been conducted before.

MC’s website claims that the lights’ purpose is to “meet the demands of our student athletes by creating a safer and more efficient football field use.” They argue that there is a lack of field space in a growing sports-focused environment in Marin County, especially for female athletes. Since the request for lights has been argued before, MC has decided to go with a new approach that they deem more respectful to the surrounding neighbors. The website said that many neighbors’ concerns are the hours that the lights will be on. The site now claims the lights will only be in use until 7 p.m., which “represents a 30 percent reduction in light usage from the last proposal.”
MC varsity football player and senior Branden Johnson believes that getting lights is important and should not be overlooked.

“Night games completely change the way football is played. It brings [the] community together and is a big part of school and football culture,” Johnson said. “[MC] has the best bleachers and stadium set up in Marin County but people do not show up for the games. The only times the student section shows out is when we are playing away and under the lights.”
Johnson also notes his annoyance at the recent lawsuit.
“I think it’s frustrating that we don’t have lights since every year they are proposed in so many different and creative ways, such as non-glare lights [that] don’t affect anyone,” Johnson said. “I thought we were supposed to get them next year and then I heard they got cancelled.”
Sophia Rubel, a Redwood senior residing in the hills across from MC, thinks that the lights are unnecessary.
“I think MC’s plan to install lights is both disruptive and unnecessary. I think it is important to consider the geography of the area. MC is located at the bottom of a hill and most of the surrounding neighborhood is on the higher elevation side, so sound from the football field naturally travels upward, making it easy for the whole neighborhood to hear everything coming from the school. I experience this often and don’t even live near the field,” Rubel said.
However, Rubel clarifies that MC has a different athletics culture than Redwood.
“I understand that as a high school student, MC is a sports-focused school, so having lights would be great for them to advance their program. But I also think it is important to consider the impact on the surrounding community,” Rubel said.

Rubel notes that since MC is located in a suburban neighborhood, other variables should be considered when installing lights on the field.
“A lot of families in the neighborhood have young children who go to bed early, so the addition of lights would make them be able to have games and practices later in the evening which would make it hard for families to wind down,” Rubel said. “I can speak from personal experience. I remember at one point in my childhood, they tried having fake lights, but their practices did run later and did not end until around 9 p.m. so that was really frustrating and I know a lot of kids in the neighborhood have similar issues.”
The outcome of the lawsuit is still pending. Residents seek to overturn the Board’s approval and demand a full environmental check on the plan.
“I think all Marin schools would benefit from having lights in their football program

because hype around games would increase a lot. [Players] work really hard and lights are just another way for us to get recognition,” Johnson said.
“Sound and light carry, whether it’s the student section, the coaches or the players. It’s just important to think about the children,” Rubel said.