Alexandria city council on May 17 approved a zoning text amendment that removes an 80‑foot height limit on light poles for congregate recreational facilities and dog parks, and later approved a separate special‑use permit allowing Episcopal High School to install athletic field lighting — with conditions set by council after intense public comment.

The text amendment drew sustained public comment at the meeting, including from residents, civic groups and landscape and light‑engineering experts. Planning staff and several speakers told council that advances in lighting technology and industry standards allow taller poles to focus light more precisely, reducing glare and off‑site spill. Opponents countered that eliminating a numerical cap allows manufacturers to advocate ever‑taller poles and removes a clear protect‑the‑neighbor safeguard established in 2018.

Planning staff said the amendment does not eliminate review: any pole taller than the zone’s base height would still require a full special‑use permit and the city retains discretion to deny or require mitigation. The council approved the amendment by voice vote.

The council then considered a request from Episcopal High School to install a campus‑wide lighting network that would ultimately include dozens of poles, ranging in the application up to 100 feet on some playing fields. Opponents — including many nearby homeowners — urged council to restrict the number of poles, shorten the time period of any long‑run approval, limit hours of use and require stronger community engagement. Supporters, including many students and alumni, said lights would allow evening practices and broader community and youth use.

After discussion, the council amended the Episcopal special‑use permit before taking a final vote. Council set the approval period at five years (rather than the 10 years requested), required lights to be turned off by 10 p.m. daily, and directed ACPS/Episcopal to provide an annual community meeting and a single designated community contact for complaints and coordination. The council also recorded that any lights exceeding 80 feet could not be installed until the text amendment’s implementing ordinance became effective. The council approved the Episcopal permit in a roll call vote; the mayor recused herself from the Episcopal item because of a personal conflict noted at the meeting.

Council members and staff said approving the zoning amendment and the Episcopal application separately allowed the council to evaluate the code change in the abstract and then decide on a specific campus application with site‑specific conditions. Opponents said the sequence still left neighborhoods exposed to future proposals while supporters said the updated rules let the city consider modern lighting technology and site‑by‑site mitigation.

The decisions set a new regulatory framework in Alexandria for athletic lighting and established a local example for balancing modern sports lighting with neighborhood protections.