A homebuilder tired of the effect that water-pinching policies have had on new home landscaping in Las Vegas has decided to bring the green back by installing artificial turf out front of its new homes.
"We are well aware of the water concerns in southern Nevada, but we feel what we've seen out there, as far as desert landscaping, is not something we're happy with," says Jim Cerrone, marketing chief for Standard Pacific Homes.
The California builder plans to lay synthetic turf in front of all 77 homes in its Mountain Shadows neighborhood in North Las Vegas.
Since 2004, lawns in front of new homes has been banned in the Las Vegas area, paving the way for front yard designs that use rocks and drought-resistent plants native to the desert.
Cerrone said the preliminary response to the company's efforts to make its community look more verdant is strong.
"The feedback we have so far is extremely positive," he says. "People are saying they're getting sick of desert landscaping."
Buyers who prefer desert landscaping, however, can opt out, he says.
Other community developers have expressed concerns with installing fake grass because of the toll sunlight and heat can take on the product.
"The problem with anything plastic that you put in the sun is that it has a finite life," says Hal Bloch, president of the Summerlin North Homeowners Association.
The group prohibits homeowners from installing the synthetic grass in their front yards because deterioration could affect the aesthetics of the entire community.
"We might approach the homeowner a number of years from now and say, 'You're lawn has to be replaced - it doesn't look good,'" he says. "(The homeowner) could say, 'Who are you to judge whether it looks good?' We do not want to be faced with subjective decisions."
Astoria Homes vice president of marketing, Sia Howe, says her company is experimenting with synthetic lawns in parking lots and common areas of its model communities.
The tendency of the lawns to heat up in the sun has kept Astoria from installing them at playgrounds and parks, she said. Some of the lawns have also developed wear patterns similar to those on indoor carpets.
"It's really making the rear yards of our models look great," she says. "Now that we're getting experience in our models with how we use it, it may be something we consider in the future."