New Santa Monica Ordinance Would Limit Lawn Size

Last week, the Santa Monica City Council proposed a new building ordinance that would extend green guidelines to all new buildings, including single-family homes and major renovations on homes, reports the Lookout News. Among other things, the ordinance "restricts the area taken up by turfgrass – or lawns – to 20 percent of the landscaped area, encourages the use of drought resistant plants and restricts the size of water features, such as fountains and ponds, to 25 square feet." (As previously pointed out, Southern Californians love them some big, grassy lawns.) But at least one council member fears the lawn ordinance will create landscapes that look like “a moonscape with a couple of cactus," and points out kids need an area "they can play on," according to the paper. In response to concerns about grass-deprived children, Santa Monica Mayor Richard Bloom points out that there are alternatives for lawns and mentions the obvious: California's terrible water drought.
· City Expands Green Building Guidelines [Lookout News]
· Land of a Thousand Lawns [Curbed LA]