Glendale to examine artificial turf issue

The question of permitting and regulating artificial turf on residential front lawns will be taken up by the City Council on Tuesday.

While Glendale allows fake grass in backyards, it’s always been prohibited in front of homes.

In a state level attempt to curb water usage amid an ongoing drought, AB 1164 could change all of that. The proposal states cities must allow artificial turf if homeowners want it and Gov. Jerry Brown is widely expected to sign it.

Municipalities, however, will get to choose the quality of the material and set forth other standards.

A Bay Area consulting firm, ReScape, recommended that artificial turf in local frontyards be capped at taking up no more than 40% of frontyards.

City staffers made their own suggestion of 65%, a number that was reached based on lining the border of the yard with live plants, said Community Development Director Philip Lanzafame. The differing opinions were created to give council members options to consider, he said.

Mayor Ara Najarian, who’s been the main push behind getting the artificial turf discussion on the agenda, said he wants to raise that amount even more to 80%.

“I think people, not just in Glendale, but across the state have realized the time has come for turf to be placed to save water, that’s where we’re at,” he said.

Although resident Bill Metzdorf is more known in his neighborhood for his elaborate drought-tolerant landscape that replaced his green front lawn, he knows a thing or two about artificial turf.

One of the biggest concerns he has with some fake grass made of plastic is its ability to trap heat on exceptionally sunny days. The scenario is often referred to as “heat islands.”

“If you step on it you could really burn your feet, there’s a lot of heat in there,” Metzdorf said.

The solution, he says, is installing artificial turf that’s made from high-quality material that won’t pose as many problems, he said. If the council sets the bar high, Metzdorf says he won’t mind seeing artificial turf on his neighbors’ lawns.

“If someone is going to install something, it’s going to have be very high caliber that’s not going to create a problem in the neighborhood,” he said.

Another of those problems could be fake lawns is retaining odor from animal waste.

Najarian said there’s a new generation of artificial turf that looks very convincing and is permeable to eliminate the concerns of fake lawns made from lower-quality material.

But with set higher standards to abide by could mean a higher price tag.

In its report, ReScape estimates installing artificial turf on a 1,000-square-foot frontyard could range between $6,000 and $12,000.

While some people may make the swap to further save on water costs down the road, artificial turfs likely won’t blanket the community, said Councilwoman Paula Devine.

The direction provided by council members on Tuesday will go toward drafting an ordinance to eventually return for a vote.

“We’re not encouraging people to do this, we’re simply giving them a choice,” Devine said.