posted 06-04-2009 02:39 PM                       

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Aut-O-Rama Twin Drive-in sues Ohio Sports Park in North Ridgeville over bright lights
Posted by Michael Sangiacomo/Plain Dealer Reporter June 01, 2009 23:45PM
Categories: Real Time News

NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio — It's a battle of the bulbs.
One of the few remaining drive-in movie theaters in the Cleveland area got a two-week temporary restraining order last week to shut off the lights at a nearby outdoor sports complex.

The Aut-O-Rama Twin Drive-in sued the recently opened sports center, maintaining that the lights on ball fields wash out the images on the movie complex's giant picture screens.

The Aut-O-Rama, which opened in 1965, is one of only 33 drive-ins left in Ohio.

The $3 million, 67-acre Ohio Sports Park has seven illuminated baseball and softball fields, outdoor volleyball and basketball courts and nine soccer fields.

Deb Sherman, owner of the drive-in, said she knew she was in for trouble when the Ohio Sports Park, about 600 feet east of the theater, tested its lights May 8.

"This is our business," she said. "People have to be able to see the screens to enjoy the movie or they won't be back. The lights are so bright on one screen that it's like watching a PowerPoint presentation with the lights on. People watching the other screen have the lights shining in their faces. It's unpleasant, and we can't afford to lose customers."

After meetings with the sports park owners proved unsuccessful, Sherman filed suit in Lorain County Common Pleas Court, seeking more than $50,000 in damages. The court granted the temporary restraining order while the situation is investigated.

Sherman said that Friday night, rather than force the sports park to shut off all its lights, the drive-in let the park test to determine which ones needed to be doused to permit the movies to run.

She said that with lights out on four of nine fields, the picture was acceptable, though not perfect. The lights on the four fields will remain off for now.

Denny Johnson, North Ridgeville safety service director, said the city's chief building official would measure how much light is leaving the sports park. The lights will be turned on for the test despite the restraining order.

"We have regulations regarding how much light leaves the property," he said. "They are working with the manufacturer and installers to get the lights properly aimed so it doesn't impact surrounding businesses."

The owner of the sports park, Larry Vassil, said he would fix any violation of city light-control ordinances, but nothing else. He said he went through the city's planning commission and received all the necessary permits. He feels the lighting is within ordinance standards.

"If the city says we are in violation, that's one thing," he said. "I have talked to people who said the light did not affect the movie at all. We have a court date of June 10 because we think the restraining order is unfair. We're hoping to move that court date to [this] week."

Sherman said the drive-in received many complaints from customers, some of whom thought the theater's equipment was faulty.

She said she tried to ease the situation by playing brighter movies on the screen most affected by the sports park lights, but she wants a permanent solution.

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