Cash for Grass/ Lawn replacement programs (Los Angeles, Pasadena: houses, transfer, gated)

[jm1982]

Has anyone taken up DWP/the city on the offer for money to replace their grass?

LADWP Now Pays Customers $3 a Square Foot to Replace Their Lawn

I have a lawn that I frankly have been terrible at maintaining and I don't water it.

I'm just wondering if not having the grass would affect resell values since I'm considering possibly selling in the future.

Water a lawn seems like a waste of water and effort , although I do agree green grass can look nice.

What is everyones thoughts on this , will most people eventually go this route with our water situation anyways?

I've also seen people with the 'fake grass' and the new stuff they have looks much more real than that astroturf of previous decades.

[BRinSM]

I'm in the process of getting a quote on turf replacement in my backyard. I was told that the ladwp rebate covers about 40% of the total cost. I'll have more info later this week.

[genjy]

I want to know the implication of this super-drought on SFR front setback.

It seems ridiculous to enforce a front yard requirement and encourage people to maintain rock and cactus gardens in front of their houses.

[jm1982]

Originally Posted by BRinSM

I'm in the process of getting a quote on turf replacement in my backyard. I was told that the ladwp rebate covers about 40% of the total cost. I'll have more info later this week.

Interesting. That would be great if you could report back on this thread when you have more info.

[Exitus Acta Probat]

I wish people would not do this. The city is hot enough -- removing lawns will make it hotter. And a hotter city means more AC use, so ultimately grass removal increases carbon emissions.

[True Freedom]

my neighbor did this in Pasadena. He installed a native plant garden in place of some haggard St Augustine. In my opinion, it was an improvement, but many other neighbors disliked it. We've installed over $20k worth of native and other drought tolerant plants in our yard. It will be a long time before we get a financial return on this investment, but I like the look of the plants, and it makes me feel like I'm helping the water situation in some way (esp since we're not removing the pool or the 10,000 sq ft of lawn that we have)

As for resale value, grass is a safer bet. Not everyone likes the look of a drought tolerant front yard, but the ones who do.. know they can easily rip out the grass and plant... so for resale, stick with grass.

Originally Posted by Exitus Acta Probat

I wish people would not do this. The city is hot enough -- removing lawns will make it hotter. And a hotter city means more AC use, so ultimately grass removal increases carbon emissions.

I'm not sure this is true. If you remove the grass and replace it with black asphalt... I could see your point.. but if you replace it with drought tolerant plants and maybe even trees (grass doesn't like shade) .. and those trees help shade the house.. it will likely be an improvement in AC use

[Exitus Acta Probat]

Originally Posted by True Freedom

my neighbor did this in Pasadena. He installed a native plant garden in place of some haggard St Augustine. In my opinion, it was an improvement, but many other neighbors disliked it. We've installed over $20k worth of native and other drought tolerant plants in our yard. It will be a long time before we get a financial return on this investment, but I like the look of the plants, and it makes me feel like I'm helping the water situation in some way (esp since we're not removing the pool or the 10,000 sq ft of lawn that we have)

As for resale value, grass is a safer bet. Not everyone likes the look of a drought tolerant front yard, but the ones who do.. know they can easily rip out the grass and plant... so for resale, stick with grass.


I'm not sure this is true. If you remove the grass and replace it with black asphalt... I could see your point.. but if you replace it with drought tolerant plants and maybe even trees (grass doesn't like shade) .. and those trees help shade the house.. it will likely be an improvement in AC use

Your point about shade trees is taken. However, when I walk past areas with mostly dirt and CA native plants, I usually don't feel a temperature change, though when I walk past a golf course in the evening hours I sense a temperature drop of at least several degrees.

[xeric]

Originally Posted by Exitus Acta Probat

I wish people would not do this. The city is hot enough -- removing lawns will make it hotter. And a hotter city means more AC use, so ultimately grass removal increases carbon emissions.

West LA is hot? And you've neglected to figure in the carbon cost of building dams, transferring water over mountains, and treating the water to high-quality standards so it can be dumped on those urban lawns. If you want to use plants to cool your environment, there are much better alternatives than irrigated turf. I wish my city would pay homeowners to get rid of lawns.

[Exitus Acta Probat]

Originally Posted by xeric

West LA is hot? And you've neglected to figure in the carbon cost of building dams, transferring water over mountains, and treating the water to high-quality standards so it can be dumped on those urban lawns. If you want to use plants to cool your environment, there are much better alternatives than irrigated turf. I wish my city would pay homeowners to get rid of lawns.

One of my parents has had family roots in Los Angeles since the 1930's. That was back before Los Angeles was anywhere nearly as congested as it is as of late. Over the course of my life, I've seen this city grow to an unreasonable size, given we have millions more people living here than what Mr. Mulholland ever considered when designing our fresh water conduits. That said, I do not believe I need to suffer simply because hordes of late-comers want to crowd in here, all the whilst expecting the rest of us to give up lawns, cars, etc.

How about the city instead pay people to settle elsewhere, so that those of us who are not newbies can get at least a little enjoyment out of our landscapes, cars, etc.?

[BRinSM]

Originally Posted by Exitus Acta Probat

How about the city instead pay people to settle elsewhere, so that those of us who are not newbies can get at least a little enjoyment out of our landscapes, cars, etc.?

Maybe all of us white folk should go back to Europe while we're at it