The Lompoc Unified School District has announced the completion of the lighting project at Cabrillo High School’s Don McIntyre baseball field.
Cabrillo will hold a grand opening celebration at 5 p.m. Saturday before hosting the school’s first night game at the field.
In fall 2020, Cabrillo High School graduate and Major League Baseball pitcher Dan Duffy began working with Musco Lighting, LUSD, and Cabrillo High coaches and administrators to start a lighting project for the field, which had no lighting. Students had not been able to practice or play games in the evening. Mr. Duffy committed to funding all of the project’s costs up to $1.5 million, and the district agreed to fund any expenses soaring beyond Mr. Duffy’s commitment.
In fall 2021, a Mitigated Negative Declaration was prepared, then publicly posted per the California Environmental Quality Act of 1970 to gather public comments about the project. In December 2021, LUSD’s Board of Education approved the final MND.
Working with Musco and KBZ architects, the district submitted the final plans for the project to the Division of State Architects in April 2022. DSA provides design and construction oversight for California’s K-12 schools to ensure structural, accessibility, and fire and life safety code compliance.
In August 2022, LUSD’s board of education approved a Sourcewell piggyback bid from Musco Sports Lighting, and Smith MEP completed the project in late February.
The project included the installation of eight light standards ranging in height between 70 and 80 feet and containing various LED luminaires.
“Playing under the lights is an amazing experience,” Mr. Duffy said in a news release. “Adding lighting to the field at my alma mater has been a dream of mine for years. My mom and dad, Deanna and Dan, instilled in me a love for Cabrillo High and the entire Lompoc Valley and gave constant support and encouragement in making this project come to life.”
The school district’s superintendent, Dr. Clara Finneran, noted, “Athletics provide tremendous opportunities for students, and we are very proud of our student-athletes in Lompoc Unified. The new lighting at Cabrillo is an exciting enhancement for our students.
“We are extremely grateful for the generous donation from Mr. Duffy, and we are happy to have helped make his vision a reality,” Dr. Finneran said.
email: kzehnder@newspress.com
