San Marino residents are going to have to keep it natural for the time being when it comes to their lawns after the City Council approved an urgency ordinance that established a temporary moratorium on the installation of artificial turf and synthetic grass on Sept. 13.
The Council voted 4-0 in favor of the ordinance prohibiting residents from installing artificial grass, a move that had been in the works since 2021 but had fallen through the cracks because of staff turnover at the time. Council member Gretchen Shepherd Romey was not present for the meeting. The ordinance lasts for 45 days but can be extended for an additional 10 months should the council vote to do so.
Cities cannot outright ban the installation of synthetic turf at residences but can regulate it. Community Development Director Isidro Figueroa informed Council members that SB 676 was recently passed in both the state Assembly and Senate. Should Gov. Gavin Newsom sign the bill, it would ban the installation of artificial turf in California.
City staff had presented a draft of the ordinance to the Planning Commission two years ago but was not approved for recommendation as the panel felt more research was needed on the topic. The panel advised staff to provide more aesthetically pleasing alternatives for residents and to make the language in the ordinance “more understandable,” but no further work was done due to city employees leaving their positions. When new staff members were hired, the city shifted its focus to a much more pressing matter, the housing element.
“There was interest from the city council to regulate this use, however, staff was unaware,” Figueroa said.
Some have viewed artificial grass as beneficial to drought-ridden states such as California, but a July 2019 report from the Environmental Protection Agency acknowledged toxic chemicals are in synthetic turf but it is unknown how harmful exposure to it can be. Mayor Steve Talt said he is concerned about those chemicals making their way into the water supply.
“I must state that I do believe it is a public health emergency given the concerns that are still unknown regarding the long-term effects of the health,” Talt said.
Resident Jennifer Giles told the Council that the turf can increase temperatures and affect the area surrounding it. And she added worries that the unappealing aesthetic can lower the value of homes in the neighborhood.
“I feel that the installation of front yard artificial turf is very unsightly, and it’s not within the character of our community’s development standards as seen on the recent installation on Virginia Road,” said Giles, an architect who has researched the topic after clients inquired about synthetic grass. “It’s often not realistic in appearance and it looks very cheap.”
In an effort to be transparent, Vice Mayor Steven Huang admitted to having artificial grass in his backyard years ago and said he was unaware of the effects when it was installed.
Figueroa said city staff will continue to research the issue and go back to the Planning Commission with an ordinance within “three to four months.”
Talt adjourned the meeting in honor of San Marino graduate Kevin Smith and longtime San Marino Unified School District Board member Nam Jack, both of whom died recently.
“Nam Jack was a true servant of the city of San Marino,” Talt said. “Nam served several times on the school board as well as acting as president and even came back when they lost two board members, even though she was sick. She was president of the Little League and also directed various campaigns for not only the school but also city parcel taxes. … Nam had a very special place in my heart.”
First published in the Sept. 21 issue of the San Marino Tribune
