Cash for Grass/ Lawn replacement programs (Los Angeles, Santa Clarita: 2014, condo, construction)

[LuvSouthOC]

I hope this was a joke as it is not funny.

Regarding the concern over grass mitigating heat increases, I think that's a red herring given that glass and concrete have a much greater impact.

[jm1982]

Originally Posted by Social Democrat

Check out Turf Terminators - they claim to do the job for the rebate at no cost to the homeowner.

I had heard of it before, but just read this. Pretty interesting
L.A. company saving water by offering drought-tolerant lawns for free

Looks like it's run by a New York based Investment company and they say they can do the work with the rebate because of economies of scale. The competitors don't have much good things to say...but of course they are competitors. They say they aren't using Native plants,etc..

I doesn't look like they do the artificial grass stuff ..but more the stuff that looks 'native'.

These are some examples of what it looks like...looks like a lot of it is using those rocks.
Gallery | Turf Terminators

I'd rather have the fake grass probably than those things...but at the end of the day I guess it does save water,etc..

On yelp..it seems the people that actually got the service done gave good reviews. The bad reviews seemed to be people that said they couldn't get it scheduled or they didnt service their area for some reason (probably outside of city limits,etc.)

Turf Terminators - Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA | Yelp

[tijlover]

Originally Posted by True Freedom

I do see Exitus's point, though.

Here's a post I wrote on the topic: http://www.city-data.com/forum/33345508-post15.html

Excerpted here:
I'm concerned.
What also concerns me about it, is that municipalities do not seem to take this into account when approving new residential development. We are building, building, building more places for people to live. More people == more water consumption. They'll keep adding people to the point that you won't be able to have a yard or a pool anymore. I'm doing my part by having drought tolerant landscaping (minus my grassy area for the kids and our pool).. we collect rainwater. I flush every other poop (just kidding).

if I needed to drain my pool for the summer because of a severe drought, I'll do it. If I have to drain my pool so that we can have 50,000 more people squeezed into my town.. I'm gonna get upset.

This post could fit right in to a Las Vegas forum! Same dilemma here!

Many took advantage of being paid to replace their grass here, took the money and are now stuck with desert lawns!

About every 6th house you'll see someone who refused the money and continues to enjoy their nice green lawn, and I applaud them for it! Translated: less water to add more houses to the Valley!

Don't let that happen to L.A.! They'll merely take that water savings and build more houses and L.A. will eventually start resembling Las Vegas or Phoenix!

[xeric]

Originally Posted by tijlover

This post could fit right in to a Las Vegas forum! Same dilemma here!

Many took advantage of being paid to replace their grass here, took the money and are now stuck with desert lawns!

About every 6th house you'll see someone who refused the money and continues to enjoy their nice green lawn, and I applaud them for it! Translated: less water to add more houses to the Valley!

Don't let that happen to L.A.! They'll merely take that water savings and build more houses and L.A. will eventually start resembling Las Vegas or Phoenix!

OTOH, if everybody who lived in the arid and semi-arid West but hated the native vegetation enough to insist on a "nice green lawn" left we wouldn't have a water-supply OR an overpopulation problem.

[jm1982]

Originally Posted by tijlover

This post could fit right in to a Las Vegas forum! Same dilemma here!

Many took advantage of being paid to replace their grass here, took the money and are now stuck with desert lawns!

About every 6th house you'll see someone who refused the money and continues to enjoy their nice green lawn, and I applaud them for it! Translated: less water to add more houses to the Valley!

Don't let that happen to L.A.! They'll merely take that water savings and build more houses and L.A. will eventually start resembling Las Vegas or Phoenix!

Build more houses in LA..where ?

Vacant land is very limited in LA , it's a lot different than Vegas or Phoenix .

In Florida I see them building big developments , it's kind of weird to just see so much vacant land being developed .

There is something exciting about it too..
, but also sad to see them clearing the land of trees ,etc.

[Londonteacher]

Would you mind sharing who you used for your grass...we are thinking of doing a ten foot by 15 foot square and do not know where to start.
Thank you!

[Cardiff Kook]

I used one of these programs and got a little over 1k back on the installation of my turf

[True Freedom]

Originally Posted by jm1982

Build more houses in LA..where ?

Vacant land is very limited in LA , it's a lot different than Vegas or Phoenix .

In Florida I see them building big developments , it's kind of weird to just see so much vacant land being developed .

There is something exciting about it too..
, but also sad to see them clearing the land of trees ,etc.

Dude, are you asleep?
There are thousands of new condos and small lot sub-divisions going in all over the place!!

Here's an example:
More Half-Million-Dollar Townhouses Headed For Highland Park - DevelopmentWatch - Curbed LA

and another a few blocks away:
Highland Park Gasps at Proposal For $500k Townhouses - GentrificationWatch - Curbed LA

and some more, about 2 miles away:
NELA Union Modern Homes in Glassell Park is Sold Out | The Eastsider LA

one (of many) in Silver Lake:
Big Mixed-User Headed to Non-Hip Stretch of South Silver Lake - DevelopmentWatch - Curbed LA


Been out towards Santa Clarita lately? Thousands of new homes on previously undeveloped land.

More people == more water consumption. People gotta take showers. People gotta wash clothes and dishes. People gotta flush.

Unbridled development needs to stop.

[V8 Vega]

I agree with the above post.
Some houses here that had nice lawns now have gravel with a few plants here and there, it looks like crap.

[NyWriterdude]

Well if more people lived in condos, they'd use less water as there would be no lawns for them to water. Great to hear that urbanization of LA increases.

And it is good to hear many are tearing up their lawns and replacing it with native vegetation. LA is a DESERT. Lush green lawns do not belong in the arid West. Not only does it take up a lot of water to water the lawns, lawn mowers use up gas and increase greenhouses gas emissions that contribute to the climate change that is hitting the West hard.