Residents say light glare
returns with gray skies
By louis c. hochman
MILLSTONE – Glare from the lights at the Hole in One Golf Center, Route 33, has been especially disturbing lately and may only get worse in the months ahead, according to residents who live near the golf facility.
Resident Scott DeMonte, who lives on Indian Path Road behind the golf center, said that because of rainy weather and cloudy skies so-called "sky glow" from the golf center has been heavy over the last few weeks. He said the bright light from the golf center bounces around the overcast sky, creating a glowing effect.
"Lately, with the weather we’ve been having it seems like the sky is on fire," he said.
DeMonte and other residents came before the Township Committee several times earlier this year to complain about problems they said they are having with the golf center lights. Inspections by township officials found the lights were not properly shielded and were pointing in the wrong direction, and adjustments were made.
Residents living along Indian Path Road later said the adjustments improved the situation, but said the lights still seem too bright and are disturbing to them late at night.
"We haven’t really been to the committee for the last few meetings because we’re going to wait and see what happens when the season changes," DeMonte said.
He said foliage currently partially shields some homes from the lights, but noted that when leaves fall off the trees later this year that shielding will no longer be in place.
DeMonte said the township may not be able to make more adjustments to the lights, because their setup reflects what he called "a basically bad design."
He said a set of lights at the golf center is much higher than it needs to be, placed on top of 40-foot poles. The golf center operators received a variance from the Planning Board on June 15 that allowed them to place lights that high.
DeMonte and other residents, including Cliff Kumpf of Indian Path Road, have questioned whether they were given a proper meeting notice regarding the variance.
While Township Engineer Gordon Milnes had said he would ask Township Clerk Bonnie Devitis to check Planning Board tapes to see if notice was given, Devitis said the tapes have yet to be checked. She said measures may be under way to resolve the situation, but since the item has not been at the forefront of discussion lately, other tasks have taken priority.
"If this becomes a (dominant) issue again, I’ll have to get the tapes from the Planning Board and go over them," she said.
Milnes said written records of the Planning Board meetings do not reflect whether notice was given.
Representatives of the golf center did not return phone calls for comment.