Artificial turf used- and not on a ball field

[Amber]

What sorts of things need to be considered with a request for artificial turf at a property in town? This is not for a ball field but rather a regular residential or commercial application. How have these types of applications been dealt with in regard to lot coverage, required landscaping, etc.
Does the location matter- front of lot versus back? What about in a historic district?

[ColoGI]

What sorts of things need to be considered with a request for artificial turf at a property in town? This is not for a ball field but rather a regular residential or commercial application. How have these types of applications been dealt with in regard to lot coverage, required landscaping, etc.
Does the location matter- front of lot versus back? What about in a historic district?

1. Turf is hot.
2. Turf is impervious
3. Turf increases runoff from a site
4. Turf decreaes biodiversity

I would def say no to a historic district. The negative externalities have no regard for "front" or "back" but to cardinal direction and proximity to receiving waters. They are dealt with in the ordinances and landscape regulations.

[Suburb Repairman]

ColoGI pretty much nailed it. Plus, you actually have to clean it (especially if you have pet waste). It is a bad product all around for general landscaping, no matter how hard the manufacturers try to sugarcoat.

I suppose it could be permiable with the appropriate type of subsoil underneath it, but you must also remember that vegetation also serves to improve water quality--something else that is lost with artificial turf. At least with athletic field applications, there is a drainage system underneath the turf that pipes runoff/infiltration elsewhere--in that way, it is really no different than paving your entire yard. And if you've ever stepped barefoot onto an artificial turf athletic field, even the nice ones, you'll know what we mean by heat generation.

You'll hear the "it doesn't use water" argumen and the "you don't have to waste gas by mowing it" argumentt, but all you're doing is exchanging one set of negative environmental effects for another set. They would be far better off landscaping using native/adapted xeriscaping plants. This includes native grasses that feel & look like turf (or in some cases, come in the form of turf-grasses). You can reduce maintenance costs & water use while actually increasing biodiversity, groundwater infiltration & water quality.

[dvdneal]

If you're going to get turf, you have to shell out the money for the good stuff. It at least feels softer, but it still has all the problems mentioned and yes it will get hot in the summer. I would use it for decorative patches, not an entire lawn. Or maybe as a putting green, but if you just want decoration plant a good garden, it costs less and looks better. It might work well as a "patch" of grass next to a sidewalk cafe or something similar where no one actually uses it, but I can't think of doing a whole yard.

I have seen it done a number of times in the Phoenix area, but there no one does the whole yard, it's just a soul patch to make everyone feel good about the idea of grass. Then again, no one uses the front yard at all in Phoenix so it's just for looks anyway.

[wahday]

Another +1 for ColoGI's thoughts.

Not a professional opinion here, but a personal observation. There are a wider variety of artificial turfs out these days and some perform way better than astroturf. Which still doesn't make them a good lawn option. A few years back there was a rash of snake-oil salesmen who promoted these products here in the desert southwest. The argument was that lawns are not environmentally appropriate here (true). The answer? Keep your love of a green lawn by using artificial turf. Nevermind all that “xeric” landscaping stuff. In some amazing turn of events, one of these companies even convinced the City itself to use some of this material. They installed it at a public pool near my house and here is what I think about it:

1) Its uncomfortable! Scratchy and feels weird when wet.
2) This variety is supposed to also allow real grass to come up within the plastic strands. This has not really been the case. I think something about the artificial turf is not very conducive to plant growth.
3) Its HOT! That dark green plastic soaks up the heat like nobody’s business. Sitting down on it after being in the pool is like being branded.
4) Its unattractive. Something about that shade of green seems unnatural. You can tell from a mile away it isn’t real.
5) The kind they installed at the pool is fairly permeable, FWIW. But that's about the only positive thing I will say about the stuff.

[DetroitPlanner]

LOL My parent's live in a Historic District and being a city engineer, dad is always looking for ways to decrease run-off. One of the first things he did when I bought my first house was to detach the drain spouts so they would not drain to the river. Recently he had his house re-landscaped and sodded though the problem really is too many trees.

I should have suggested this and watched him stroke out!