Feb. 24, 2026

 

To the Community,

I am writing as a resident of Bronxville and as a practicing physician to express concern over the renewed consideration of installing permanent stadium lighting on the Bronxville School athletic fields. This proposal has been raised multiple times over the past two decades and was previously rejected by the Board in 2005 and 2013–14 due to its significant impact on our residential village.

The fields sit in the center of a densely populated neighborhood. Tall lighting structures and extended evening activity would fundamentally change the landscape and evening ambience valued by so many families, while raising concerns about increased traffic, noise, light spill, glare, and parking strain.

As a board-certified physician in Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, I am particularly concerned about the health implications of this proposal. There are well-documented adverse effects of excessive artificial light exposure at night, including disruption of circadian rhythms, suppression of melatonin, impaired sleep quality, fatigue, and negative downstream effects on mood, cognition, and overall health. These impacts are especially concerning for children and adolescents, for whom adequate sleep is essential for learning, growth, and emotional regulation. Light pollution extending into nearby homes would impose a chronic and unavoidable burden on the health, sleep, and mental and emotional well-being of surrounding residents.

In addition, increased evening and nighttime traffic associated with extended athletic use would predictably lead to higher levels of local air pollution. Increased vehicle emissions are associated with worsening air quality and increased respiratory symptoms, particularly among children, older adults, and individuals with asthma or chronic lung disease. For a residential neighborhood, this represents a meaningful and preventable public health concern.

Further, under the New York Freedom of Information Law, I respectfully request disclosure of any data, analyses, reports, or information that the Village or School District has gathered or relied upon regarding the health impacts of permanent stadium lighting on residents living in the surrounding neighborhood. This request is particularly relevant to my family, as we reside on Vine Street in close proximity to the school and would be directly affected by any such installation.

For these reasons, I respectfully urge the Board and Village leadership not to install permanent stadium lighting that is unnecessary and detrimental to the health, sleep, respiratory wellbeing, and overall quality of life of residents who live near the school.

Please continue prioritizing solutions that support athletics without compromising the character of our village or the wellbeing of surrounding neighbors.

Thank you for your attention and service.

Sincerely,
Tshering Amdo, MD, MHA
Board Certified in Pulmonary Disease, Critical Care Medicine, and Sleep Medicine
Section Chief, Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine
NYU Langone Hospital–Brooklyn
NYU Langone Health

Resident of Vine Street
Bronxville Village, NY

 

 

 

 

 

Editor's note:  MyhometownBronxville does not fact-check statements in letters to the editor, and the opinions do not necessarily reflect the thinking of its staff. Its objective in publishing letters to the editor is to give air to diverse thoughts and opinions of residents in the community.