Keith Matheny

Detroit Free Press

The purple-ish glow from Ford Field's new, multimillion-dollar LED roof light system has stopped lighting up the night sky, apparently after some conversation between Ford Field and city officials.

Multiple residents report a noticeably changed downtown skylineafter a southwest Detroit residents' Change.org petition to curb the lights.

Petition organizer Margo Dalal, 23, sees them as light pollution and says they violate a provision of the city's illumination ordinance that calls for minimizing "nightglow."

"I have had every person imaginable ask me if I’ve noticed," Dalal said Wednesday. "We did notice they were turned down significantly — the purple lights are off, basically."

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The Lions did not immediately respond to a Free Press inquiry.

David Bell, director of the city's Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department, said in a statement Wednesday that city officials had received no feedback from residents about the lighting atop Ford Field "until complaints surfaced online last week."

"Because the brightness of the stadium is variable and can either be minimized or amplified based on weather conditions, it's really not possible to say whether Ford Field had been in compliance with the ordinance. Representatives of the stadium have been very cooperative and have indicated they will work closely with us to make sure the lighting is monitored and measured going forward to ensure they are in compliance with the city ordinance."

Dalal's petition calling for turning off the roof lights at night received more than 1,200 signatures, which she submitted to city officials Tuesday.

"I always get hopeful that I'm seeing the northern lights on my way to work and then am disappointed and angry when I realize it's the Ford Field lights," petition signer Julia Loman of Detroit wrote last week.

Detroit resident Aaron Dome called the lights "obnoxious."

"They are gaudy and tacky and ruin the view of the Detroit skyline if you live anywhere remotely close to downtown," he said.

Others, however, not only aren't bothered by the bright addition to downtown nightlife, they like it.

"From my third-floor deck, it's a soothing, 'The mother-ship has landed' glow. It's not blight," said Corktown resident Mark Crowley.

"My west-facing bedroom window is a straight, unbroken shot to Ford Field, and I couldn't sleep any more comfortably than I do now," resident Sheryl Johnson-Fambro said. "The views here at night are stunning. The lights of downtown are part of the wonder of experiencing life down here."

Dalal said she has no idea whether the recent dialing down of the Ford Field glow is permanent.

"Whatever happens, I hope that Ford Field and city officials consult with neighbors and residents who live beyond the 1-mile radius of downtown," she said. "That's who the light is affecting."

She added that she regrets that many are portraying the issue as her against the Lions, the city, or progress downtown.

"The issue was raised, the people have spoken," she said. "Let’s see what they think 'accountability' means."

Contact Keith Matheny: 313-222-5021 or kmatheny@freepress.com. Follow on Twitter @keithmatheny.