Pacific Park set to get fake grass

After strengthening a ban on artificial turf in residential front yards last year, the Glendale City Council this week approved spending roughly $99,000 for a consultant to prepare plans to install the fake stuff at Pacific Park.

Council members extolled the move before unanimously approving the decision.

“That overused soccer field, I’ve seen it turn from beautiful green to mud and dirt,” said Mayor Frank Quintero. “Once this is done, that artificial turf is going to last for such a long time.”

The contract with David Volz Design Landscape Architects Inc. is a preliminary expense. In May 2011, the council approved spending $970,000 on installing artificial turf at a Pacific Park multi-purpose field located at Edison Elementary School, according to a city report.

Residents have long been banned from placing faux grass in front yards, but enforcement of the rule was put on hold so the City Council could decide whether to change it. Last August, they solidified the rule, but continued to allow artificial turf in backyards.

At the time, residents were divided on the issue, with proponents noting the environmental benefits, such as saving water. Others opposed on aesthetic grounds and due to adverse health effects of lead.

Other school sites and city sports fields already have artificial turf.

The budget for the project comes from federal Community Development Block Grants, which support social services and capital improvement projects.