Artificial turf is now allowed in the front yards of Thornton’s single-family homes after the city council voted 6-3 to amend the municipal code at the May 23 city council meeting.
City Councilors Karen Bigelow, Julia Marvin and Kathy Henson stood opposed.
The ordinance will allow for 25% of turf in single-family home landscapes for their front and visible side yards. That turf must be PFPFAS-free
Previously, city code only allowed turf to be used in landscaping that isn’t viewable from public rights of way. Only designated sports fields were allowed to have turf if they were approved by the council.
According to the meeting’s agenda, there were four turf permits in 2020 and 29 in 2022.
Now, the turf must be green, look like a well-maintained lawn and have an eight-year warranty against fading. There will also be no slope installation requirements.
The agenda says there must also be permeable buffers next to the turf. That’s three feet away from all property lines, three feet from the trunk of any deciduous tree, no closer than the dripline of any evergreen tree and eight feet from the front wall of any building and three feet from all other building walls and impervious surfaces.
The new rule comes with the requirement to balance of living plant material with artificial turf. Under that requirement, 750 square feet of turf requires one “tree equivalent” and 250 square feet comes with ½ of “tree equivalent.”
“For reference, one “tree equivalent” (TE) means one two-inch caliper deciduous tree or one six-foot tall evergreen tree, or ten shrubs or 20 ground covers or ornamental grasses,” the agenda reads.
Councils opinions
City Councilor Kathy Henson asked if would be allowed to have the turf under a play structure or as a putting green. Karen Widomski, Senior City Development Analyst, said that part of the ordinance is for nonresidential areas.
City Councilor Julia Marvin asked about townhomes when they have much smaller yard footprints. Widomski said the ordinance is for single-family homes.
Then City Councilor Eric Garcia asked for more information on townhomes, and Widomski said that they would be allowed the 25% if their HOA allows it.
Widomski also said that the applicant for turf must test it for PFAS by a third party.
Mayor Jan Kulmann that it gives residents more opportunities to do things in their yards that don’t require water use.
“We have only a few locations in the city that have turf, and some look better than yards in the same neighborhood,” Kulmann said.
City Councilor Julia Marvin didn’t support the ordinance but was supportive of the 25% and the PFAS requirement.
“While it does save water, there are larger impacts to the environment. There are better ways to encourage residents to save water in their yard with xeriscaping and other means like that,” she said.
Henson also said she didn’t support the motion since she’d like to see more balance between turf and plants.
