Cautiously optimistic
But questions linger about new softball field at CHS
Clinton resident David Worthington is “cautiously optimistic” after mediation was recommended for a situation involving the new Clinton High School softball field and its lighting.
The field is being built on the campus of Clinton High School — on what used to be the marching band practice field — and is next to Worthington’s home on Hillcrest Street.
Monday night Clinton City Council recommended mediation between Worthington and Anderson County Schools over his issues with the project.
The city also indicated it would enforce a stop-work order on the field until the matter is resolved.
Worthington, however, said he is requesting an investigation into events that led up to Monday night’s meeting.
“I think there are official misconduct and oppression questions there,” he said Tuesday morning.
The work on the field has brought on more questions than answers, but the most immediate and pressing issue is the lights on the field.
That’s not just because they are coming on at random times at night and flooding Worthington’s home with light, but how and why the lights were put up in the location they are now, he said.
At the February Clinton City Council meeting, Worthington and his attorney, David Stuart, presented City Council with a letter highlighting concerns about the field — specifically, “Improving the future of outdoor lighting in our community. Light pollution is both a public nuisance and a private nuisance which should not be tolerated.”
Worthington said that when the proposal for the softball field was presented to him in 2019, the lights faced away from his house. Once work began, however, the lights were directed at his house.
Since then the lights have come on several times for no apparent reason, flooding his house with light. A stop-work order was apparently issued at one point, but then “orally” rescinded.
There is still some question as to who issued the order and who rescinded it, or even whether one was issued in the first place.
Worthington said, and Stuart reiterated the point at Monday night’s meeting, that the field is not facing the way it was first proposed and it does not meet certain city codes, such as setback requirements, and a site plan has not been filed.
The city held a special called meeting to determine whether the city’s codes enforcement has jurisdiction over the field since it is “county” property.
Monday night, Stuart told City Council there are at least 28 instances that show the city does have enforcement jurisdiction on county property within the city limits.
Worthington said that when he asked what he should do if the lights came on again, he was told to call Clinton Police and file a report.
Last Thursday night, March 24, the lights came on again, and Worthington did go to file a complaint with the Clinton Police Department. Worthington told City Council Monday night that an officer with CPD said he would take the information from Worthington, but would not file a complaint.
Worthington said Tuesday that the Clinton Police Department did reach out to him for an interview, but that has not been set up yet.
Worthington also said he thought mediation would help “if they (Anderson County Schools) abide by the codes and ordinances.”
A date had not been set for mediation Tuesday.