Little League Proposes to Light Baseball Field at Crossway

Scarsdale could soon have more lit fields if a proposal from the Scarsdale Little League (SLL) to illuminate a baseball field at Crossway is approved by the Scarsdale Planning Board at their March 23, 2022 meeting.

SLL is proposing to underwrite the cost to light both Crossway 1 and the parking lot at an estimated cost of $455,000. Half of the funds would come from the organization’s existing account and the balance would be the goal of a fundraising campaign.

What of the utility and maintenance costs for the lights? SLL is also pledging to cover those costs as well. They estimate that the lights would cost $200 per night and organizers assume they will be used in the fall and spring. SLL would assume the cost of the maintenance of the lights for 25 years along with underwriting the electric bill.

Their calculations assume a total use of 88 days for five out of seven days per week during the fall and the spring. Half would be for games for younger children, with a planned shut off time of 9:00 pm, and the other half for older children with a planned shut off time of 9:30 pm.

SLL selected Crossway 1 which runs along Mamaroneck Road and is the furthest from area homes, and the least likely to disrupt the neighboring community. The large dimensions of Crossway 1 allow for the widest range of play across various age groups, ranging from 60-foot base paths for younger players up to 90-foot base paths for the oldest. All six light poles would be around the perimeter of the field, so other sports that use this facility would not be impacted.

SLL informed the three neighborhood associations in the immediate vicinity of Crossway: West Quaker Ridge, East Heathcote, and Secor Farms. The presidents of these associations contacted their membership with details about the proposal and held an open Zoom forum for residents to ask SLL questions.

The proposal has the endorsement of the Scarsdale Advisory Council on Parks and Recreation who noted the competition for fields and the need for additional lit fields. They said, “New availabilities would open up for scheduling or re-scheduling games or practices lost due to weather conditions due to the availability of the lights. Finally, by providing occasional practices for the ISOs at Crossway Field1, there would be less competition for fields generally, and therefore there would be less stress placed on the Village fields. We would also point out that the usage plan’s schedule for evening games would present wonderful opportunities for the community to come together and support our student-athletes.

See their proposal here and find out more at the Planning Board meeting on March 23, 2022 at 7 pm.