Musco Lighting - Rio Rancho solves light control challenges

Rio Rancho finds a way to
keep neighbors and players happy
New Mexico sports park solves light control challenges

The original lights at Arroyo de Deportes Sports Park in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, didn’t adequately provide the light control needed as the city began to grow. Musco’s innovative technology solved their light control issues while improving the quality of light on the playing surfaces — without adding fixtures.

Arroyo de Deportes Sports Park in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, a suburb of Albuquerque, discovered the hard way that not all sports lighting is equal when they installed lights on two fields in 1994. Although they specified spill light and glare control, the original lights from another manufacturer did not solve their light control issues.

As housing developments grew closer to the fields, the inadequate control of spill and glare became an increasing problem.

“The adult games here run until 11:30 at night. The people had light going into their bedrooms; they couldn’t go to sleep,” said Joan Wagenknect, president of the Neighborhood Association.

The City and Neighborhood Association decided to replace the unacceptable lighting system. “We began to research lighting and found that Musco was most likely the company we should focus on,” said Ed Chismar, director of parks and recreation.

With Musco’s innovative technology, all of the environmental issues at Arroyo de Deportes Park were addressed.

“We didn’t know if spending the money on lights was a good idea, but now I think it was the best thing we could have done,” concluded Chismar. •