Long-awaited new lights brighten nights at ball fields in Turlock park

In a ceremony Thursday evening, the city of Turlock threw the switch on the brand-new LED lights now illuminating Pedretti Park.

The ball fields at Pedretti Park are used daily from February through November for programs including city league softball, Turlock Little League, Turlock Christian School’s sports teams and more.

The facility also hosts over 40 softball and baseball tournaments yearly that draw visitors to Turlock from the surrounding region and even out of state, according to a news release from the city.

In the early 1980s, metal halide lighting was installed in the park. This type of lighting no longer meets the recommended lighting levels for current tournament play and needed to be replaced.

In September, the City Council approved an agreement with a Buena Park company for the lighting improvement. The scope of work included replacing the existing metal halide lights with LED lights on all five fields, all existing aging wiring, and one damaged pole foundation.

The new LED lighting is more than 50% brighter, which meets current recommended tournament lighting levels while saving over 25% in yearly energy usage, the city says.

The Turlock Irrigation District contributed $150,483 for the project. In 2022, The Bee reported that the total project estimate was $850,000.

“The installation of the new lights at Pedretti Park signifies not only enhanced brightness,” said Public Works Director Erik Schulze in the news release, “it also marks the start of a new chapter for our cherished facility.”

This story was originally published April 1, 2024 at 3:07 PM.