The Los Altos Parks & Recreation Department’s proposal to install artificial turf at the new Hillview dog park directly contradicts the city’s environmental goals, especially the Environmental Commission’s plan to prioritize green landscaping and reduce waste.
Los Altos should actively consider decomposed granite as a cost-effective viable alternative for dog parks, a solution that most Bay Area cities have standardized.
While artificial turf vendors tout “new technology,” the environmental and practical downsides remain significant. These include:
Environmental and practical concerns: Artificial turf is made from plastic and rubber – materials that contribute to microplastic pollution, chemical runoff and high carbon emissions.
It’s energy-intensive to manufacture and almost impossible to recycle, ending up in landfills every few years. Artificial turf also traps heat, contributing to the urban “heat island” effect, especially problematic in Los Altos, which has 263 sunny days per year.
In winter, the low-permeable base beneath artificial turf can exacerbate flooding and harms tree roots. It doesn’t absorb pet waste, leading to odors, bacteria and increased maintenance, including the need for frequent washing – ironically, with water, despite the drought-conscious rationale for its installation.
Cost and health risks: Artificial turf is arguably the most expensive surface option due to high installation, maintenance and replacement costs. It contain hazardous chemicals like lead, phthalates and PFAS (“forever chemicals”), with growing evidence of long-term health impacts.
Wider rejection and better alternatives: Other Bay Area cities are rejecting artificial turf.
Sunnyvale is conducting a scientific study and using natural alternatives like crushed stone. Millbrae enforces an artificial turf ban. Santa Rosa, San Marino and Carmel-by-the-Sea have avoided or are banning artificial turf altogether.
Leading environmental and health groups, including the Sierra Club and the Santa Clara Medical Association, oppose artificial turf use on public land.
Installing artificial turf at the proposed Hillview dog park would be a costly, unsustainable and unhealthy step that directly undermines Los Altos 2022 Environmental Commission’s Climate Action and their 2025 Work Plan. There is no good reason to install artificial turf when viable natural alternatives are being successfully deployed by our neighboring cities.
Fay is a Los Altos resident.
