SNOW HILL -- Due to stringent Little League regulations, the loss of one lighting pole in a storm earlier this month at John Walter Smith Park means no more Little League night games can be played at the location until the entire lighting system is replaced, a cost of about $250,000.
For the time being, the Worcester County Commission has decided to hold off on the replacement, instead suggesting that Little League games be held during the day for the time being.
“On Thursday, March 7, 2013, the wooden pole that housed 10 lights on the right side of the field, snapped in half during a nor’easter storm …,” Recreation and Parks Director Paige Hurley reported to the commission. “Without this bank of lights, the field does not meet the lighting standards that had been grandfathered in by Little League Baseball International.”
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$250,000 for ten 1000 watt metal halide lights???? And a wooden pole??? That's just crazy...
ReplyDeleteI think that they need to replace all the lights since it was grandfathered in. If they had the sense to keep their mouths shut, they could replace the pole that was blown over and move on.
ReplyDeleteThis is just another example of too much government! I remember playing til dark with no lights!
ReplyDeleteCan't this go out for bids? I find a quarter million dollars for a pole and 10 lights with no rough-in is a fisherman's dream!
ReplyDeleteReel it in!
Okay, I just used my estimating program to replace the pole and lights. One 40' steel pole, 10 new 1,000w metal halides, re-use existing mounting crossbars, 6' x 24" concrete base with #6 steel rebar and anchor bolts, re-use existing wiring. $27,000. Let's round it up to 30k because it's not a ten unit job. That's close enough to 10% of whoever gave them the first price!
ReplyDeleteWhole system? How the heck many poles with 10,000 watts on them would you need for our humble grandfathers? 250k gets us 9 poles and almost a million watts! Bring out the sunscreen!
Little League has strict lighting standards that the present lights do not meet. They were allowed, or grandfathered since they were existing and met the criteria at the time they were installed. The $250,000 price tag is for all new state of the art lighting that meets Little League regulations.
ReplyDeleteWill there be free sunscreen provided at the future games? It sounds like we will need it.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I just used my estimating program to replace the pole and lights. One 40' steel pole, 10 new 1,000w metal halides, re-use existing mounting crossbars, 6' x 24" concrete base with #6 steel rebar and anchor bolts,
ReplyDeleteThe shortest poles I have seen for little league is 60' which require 4' diameter x 14' deep holes if going with anchor bolts. If going with the embedded concrete bases you could probably swing 3'x 12' deep. I also think LL requires 1500 watt lights now but not positive on that one.
Sounds like they are trying to go with state of the art Musco system that is satellite controlled. There are a lot of cheaper ways to do it but without seeing the site its hard to get exact figures.
Again, if they had just put a new pole up with the same lights as before and kept their mouths shut, they would still be grandfathered.
ReplyDeleteI manage a $37 million piece of proprty in OC I put in 6 seperate 400 watt hps lights on 25 ft poles complete with concrete foundations in a hirricane zone for less than $30 k. This price tag is bs.
ReplyDelete