A judge reviewing the legality of San Marin High School’s stadium floodlight project is taking a dim view of it.

Judge Roy Chernus, in a tentative ruling, said it appears the Novato Unified School District approved the lighting project based on a highly flawed environmental impact report.

Chernus said he is inclined to grant an injunction setting aside the project approval. But after followup arguments on Wednesday, he agreed to give the matter more consideration.

Chernus set no timeline for his final ruling. The court record thus far exceeds 10,000 pages of material, much of it technical, he said. Even his tentative ruling runs to 36 pages.

A lawyer for Coalition to Save San Marin, the community group that filed the lawsuit, declined to comment while the ruling was still tentative.

A lawyer for the school district, David Soldani, said the litigation rests on a relatively narrow set of complaints, so a negative ruling would not send the project back to square one.

“We look forward to the court’s final ruling in the matter,” Soldani said.

The $1.6 million project involves eight 80-foot light poles to illuminate the athletic field, more lighting along the route to the parking lot, and a sound system.

Most of the project cost is for the lighting, and about half the money came from donors. The environmental impact report cost more than $167,000.

The Coalition to Save San Marin filed its lawsuit last year, alleging that the environmental analysis was insufficient on the questions of light, noise, biological resources and traffic.

The plaintiffs also alleged that relevant information about potential environmental damage was not circulated until after the public comment period had ended. The coalition wants a court order for the EIR to be recirculated.

Meanwhile, the school district has gone ahead with the project. It is 95 percent complete, but the school has not used the lights yet, said Yancy Hawkins, assistant superintendent.

“It is on schedule and on budget,” Hawkins said. “This district is 100 percent committed to getting the project complete. This project has enormous community support.”

Chernus, in his tentative decision, noted that he had warned the school district that “its decision to proceed with completion of this project, pending final determination of this writ petition, was at its own risk and expense.”