Properties Committee hears plan to regrass two Johnson lawn-bowling greens in 2026

The Properties Committee on Feb. 6 heard a proposal to regrass two of the four Johnson lawn-bowling greens beginning in April 2026 at an estimated cost of $337,459 for the two-green phase, or about $168,730 per green.

Todd, staff responsible for landscaping, said the two greens selected are original surfaces—approximately 45 years old—and will be removed down to about 6–8 inches of root zone material and replanted with one of the newer bermudagrass varieties (for example, TifEagle). Todd said the removed material would be stockpiled and reused as backfill on future shoreline projects at Deer Valley and Desert Trails, reducing later project costs.

Nick Turner, president of the Lawn Bowling Club, told the committee that the facility hosts regional and national tournaments, bringing visitors from across North America. Turner said tournament play and frequent daily use require the ability to rest greens seasonally; he described the greens as heavily used between November and March and called the regrassing a long-interval expense that the community has been reserving funds to cover. "This is a once every 40 years cost, and the money is in the reserve fund," Turner said.

Staff proposed staging the work so two greens are regrassed in 2026 and the remaining two in a following year, allowing play to continue on available greens during the growing-in period. Committee members asked questions about infrastructure under the greens; staff said the bid allowance includes replacement of plinth boards if needed once the project exposes them.

No formal committee vote was recorded at the meeting; the project was presented for consideration as part of the FY 2025–26 budget process.