Debate Grows Over Installing Lights at Sid Augarten Field in Riverdale

The North Riverdale Baseball and Softball League, NRBL, is pushing to install lights at Sid Augarten Field — but not all residents are on board.

On Sept. 29, the league presented its case to Bronx Community Board 8’s Parks and Recreation Committee. 

It argued lights would allow for more games, practices, and kids able to join the team, especially as the fall season cuts daylight short. 

Several residents who live in nearby apartment buildings, however, voiced opposition due to quality-of-life concerns, such as traffic and light glare. 

Sid Field sits at Mosholu Avenue and West 255th Street, inside Vinmont Veteran Park. Immediately surrounding it is the Riverdale Neighborhood House, P.S. 081 and other greenspaces. The rest of the buildings are residential. 

It has not yet been decided how late the lights would stay on if approved, though league officials said they would be turned off before 10 p.m. 

“It would make a big difference for the kids,” said David Zarnitzky, president of the league. “NRBL has been such a vital part of this neighborhood.”

Founded in 1954, the nonprofit league has been a fixture in the community for more than 70 years. Boys and girls, ages 4 to 16, play year-round except for a brief winter break. Although the teams use other fields, most games are played at Sid Augarten Field.

While youth baseball leagues across the city have struggled to maintain enrollment, NRBL has seen consistent growth. In the past five years, it has added 385 players — bringing current registration to about 650. But shorter days in the fall have limited playing time, forcing the league to cap enrollment for the first time.

Turning kids away drove the league into action. Coaches and parents circulated a petition, as well as secured support from City Council Member Eric Dinowitz and local organizations like the Riverdale Neighborhood House and Earlybird. 

As of the September meeting, the petition had 576 signatures — roughly 70 percent from northern Riverdale. The rest encompassed greater Riverdale, Kingsbridge Heights, and a small portion from the southeast Bronx. 

Supporters, many of them parents, said additional field time would strengthen the sense of community the league fosters.

“Team building, task solving, working together in groups … I see how much enrichment it does for [my daughters] and all the kids,” said Jennifer Vasquez, whose children play softball. “Seeing kids do things that are good for them like this … it’s just a really wonderful thing.”

Fourteen-year-old player Annabel Averill said she supports the proposal even though she will likely age out of the program by the time lights are installed. 

“Even if I don’t get to see it,” Averill said, “It would be really amazing for [younger] girls to have more opportunities to play longer and just experience the game and make the memories that I made when I was 9.” 

Others worried about the impact on daily life. 

Michael Zabluaskas, who grew up playing in the league, now lives across the street from the field and said traffic would worsen if games extended into the evening.

“If you want to imagine what it would be like with lights, just go there during a pick-up or drop-off time,” he said. “That’s how many cars would be there double and triple parked — [I’m] waiting for 15 minutes to go through one light and being late to work.” 

Another longtime resident, Tab Buckner, was worried about glare affecting both nearby homes and drivers exiting the Henry Hudson Parkway.

League leaders said new lighting technology addresses those concerns. A new type of symmetrical light concentrates the beam in a specific direction instead of spilling upwards. Regarding traffic, Zarnitzky said though double parking does sometimes occur, it’s an issue throughout the neighborhood unspecific to the field. 

This is not the first-time lights at Sid Field have been contested. 

Nearly 20 years ago, the board rejected the request. Issues were like those now — traffic, noise, glare, and why the board would approve likely a large sum of money for something not all the kids can use. Only players ages 6 to 13 use the field.

Laura Spalter, former board chair and a resident of a nearby building, voted against the lights then and remains opposed today. She said most of her neighbors agree with her. 

“Clearly there’s an impact on quality of life in a residential neighborhood,” she said. “I love the little league. Daytime games, the noise, everything, it’s fine. But nighttime — extending the hours — makes it very, very difficult for residents.” 

NRBL currently holds the only permit for the field, but Spalter said adding lights could open it up to other groups at night. She was also doubtful the team would stick to a strict cutoff time, since families often linger after games to socialize. And even if they do, she added, there’s no guarantee future players and coaches will do the same.

Jennifer Laurie, NRBL secretary and softball and field commissioner, told The Press playing under lights would be a magical thing for the team. 

“If we have this opportunity to give the kids something most kids in the Bronx don’t think they’d ever have — like a beautiful, ‘if you build it they will come’ field — that would be a great thing,” Laurie said. “Just trust us that we could be good neighbors.” 

The league cannot proceed without Community Board 8’s approval, making cost estimates and a construction timeline uncertain. State Sen. Gustavo Rivera expressed willingness to consider funding the project, but only if the board gives its consent.

The next parks and recreation committee meeting is scheduled for Oct. 22, when members are expected to discuss next steps.