Friday night lights may be headed to St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School in Alexandria’s Seminary Ridge neighborhood.
A special use permit request to erect field lighting on poles in excess of 35 feet to light the football and soccer fields at the school at 1000 St. Stephens Road is heading to the city’s Planning Commission on Tuesday, Oct. 6.
St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School has been in Alexandria for more than 100 years. No sports activities or illuminated field events are held on the school’s athletic fields after 6:30 p.m., according to its schedule.
Less than two miles away, Alexandria’s public high school is entering the sixth year of having stadium lighting.
Field lights debuted at Alexandria City High School’s Parker-Gray Stadium in September 2021 following a renovation project. A 2018 vote by Alexandria City Council to add stadium lights diverged from a longtime pact residents claimed to have with the school system to not install lighting. Residents’ lawsuits were settled two years later, allowing the stadium renovation to proceed with the installation.
