Petaluma, Calif. Ponders Limits on Lawns

Petaluma is known for its stately Victorians and lush green lawns. But big lawns, thirsty rhododendrons and other plants that use a lot of water may become scarce under a new landscaping proposal.
 
The city, already under a de facto building moratorium because of a potential water shortage, is considering a conservation plan that would require city approval for new landscaping or renovation of more than 1,000 square feet of landscaping.

The ordinance would be the strictest of its kind in the region, city staff says.

The City Council also may ban grass at new commercial sites, reversing decades of encouraging lawns to soften the look of new buildings.

The proposed ordinance would restrict lawns and thirsty plants to 30 percent of landscaping on commercial and residential properties.

Contractors would have to submit plans in advance and would be required to complete frontyard and backyard landscaping before selling new homes.

Santa Rosa limits lawns on new landscaping to 40 percent, but the law doesn't apply to existing home renovations.

Petaluma Mayor David Glass supports the proposed rules but expects some controversy.

"We're going to have to face the inevitable reality we have a water shortage, and we're going to have to deal with it," he says. "We're not talking about ripping up lawns ... But people are very territorial about what their property rights are."

Dave Iribarne, Petaluma's water conservation chief, says most of the requirements are similar to those in other cities in Sonoma and Marin counties.

But he said he doesn't know of any other city that extends such requirements to existing single-family homes.

"We don't want to nitpick and we're not going after a weekend project," Iribarne says. "We're not taking the regulatory approach, that's not the idea we're trying to present. We're trying to do the right thing and ensure that landscapes use water efficiently."

The new rules would require people planning landscaping renovations of more than 1,000 square feet to fill out a two-page form outlining the existing amount of turf and high and low water-use plants and the amount to be replaced.

Renovations of existing commercial landscaping of more than 5,000 square feet and existing residential landscapes of more than 10,000 square feet would have to go through the same design review process as new construction, requiring submittal of detailed landscaping plans.

Petaluma also is considering a $55 million package that includes conservation, use of reclaimed water for irrigation and the possibility of wells to augment its water supply.

City officials say the program would allow Petaluma to accommodate all of the growth forecast by 2025 without relying on a long-delayed expansion of a pipeline system from the Russian River. Until it is approved, which is expected June 19, the city has a freeze on major developments because it can't guarantee water.

The landscaping rules are separate from the conservation program and are expected to be brought back to the council for adoption later, Iribarne says.

He said the city's stately lawns, such as those along the historic D Street corridor, may look nice but they don't fit with modern realities.

"It's beautiful, but every day I drive to work at 6 a.m. and the sidewalks are covered in water and water is running down the gutters," he says. "It's not just Petaluma. It's very common in the older neighborhoods. A lot of the landscape is not designed with water efficiency in mind."

Under the proposed rules, he says people would be able to use ground cover, such as creeping thyme or Corsican mint, to give a lush green look with a fraction of the water.

Petaluma would require turf to be installed where it will be used for recreation by playing children or other specified uses, not just for looks.

Unlike other cities, Petaluma would require commercial landscaping to use irrigation controllers that automatically adjust the amount of watering depending on the weather.

Some cities offer incentives, but Iribarne says he doesn't know any that require the devices because they are a fairly new technology.

He says the city staff will give the council the option of stricter rules, including prohibiting lawns on new commercial projects.

Louise Leff, a Petaluma landscape architect, says she hopes the proposed rules are approved.

"I think people need to recognize the state of the place where they live and give up some personal preferences for the good of the place where they're living," she says. "Every person has a huge impact on water use."

"I'm sure there will be controversy for a lot of reasons," she says. "People don't like change. I think people have a very strong feeling about property rights and people get upset about the arbitrary nature of design review. I think we would be silly not to expect upset over those two issues."

Mike Ban, the city's director of water resources, says residential landscaping accounted for an estimated 690 million gallons of water in 2004, the most current year for which data was available. That represents enough water to supply more than 5,700 homes annually.

He adds that the city's current water conservation plan, which includes incentives for low-flow toilets and devices, saves 68 million gallons of water a year.

The city's goal is to save 266 million more gallons a year using landscaping conservation and indoor conservation requirements.