Night football games will likely become a Friday ritual for Northwood High School students next fall.
Members of the Montgomery County Planning Board gave the final approval for permits to build four 90-foot light towers at the Silver Spring school’s stadium.
The project has been designed and bids are being sought, according toKate Harrison, assistant director of communications for Montgomery County Public Schools.
But the planning board’s approval Thursday was the last critical step needed for any construction.
“We are waiting for necessary permits to be released, including the Mandatory Referral Hearing, so that we can have the system up and running this summer before the first night football game,” Harrison told The Examiner.
Constructing the light towers has been a project years in the making and coincides with a major upgrade of the school’s outdoor campus.
Starting in 2004, the planning board approved building a 110-foot cell phone pole adjacent to the tennis courts that included lights for the courts. Since then, the 29.5-acre site has seen additions in the form of basketball courts, practice fields and a bus staging area.
According to planning documents, the four light towers will be 250 feet from the nearest home, which is why officials said they don’t think the towers will hinder traffic flow or residential living.
In keeping with Montgomery Public Schools’ environmental focus, school leaders are proposing to use so-called green generation lighting, which is more energy efficient.
Northwood is at 919 University Boulevard West between Arcola and Caddington avenues.
