Planning commission backs code to ban nonfunctional turf, limit artificial turf in new developments
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Summary
Staff presented state bills requiring municipalities to prohibit nonfunctional turf in new development and redevelopments; the commission recommended forwarding draft code changes that mirror state deadlines and clarify functional exemptions for low‑water and native grasses.
Wellington planning staff presented draft land‑use amendments implementing two recent state bills that prohibit nonfunctional turf in new development and redevelopment projects; the Planning Commission voted to forward the draft to the Board of Trustees.
Planning Director Cody Byrd said Senate Bill 24‑005 requires municipalities to prohibit nonfunctional turf in new commercial, institutional, civic, public and HOA common‑area development by Jan. 1, 2026, and that House Bill 25‑1113 extends related requirements to multifamily residential developments with more than 12 dwelling units by Jan. 1, 2028. "The prohibitions have to be in effect by no later than 01/01/2026," Byrd said.
Staff recommended applying the ban to applicable new development and to redevelopment that meets the state’s redevelopment threshold. Byrd said the town’s existing Landscape and Irrigation Design Manual already limits turf areas for new multifamily projects; staff proposed folding the statutory prohibition into those existing review processes rather than creating a separate permitting track.
The draft code clarifies the state definitions and includes exemptions. Byrd highlighted that the second bill clarified functional and nonfunctional turf definitions and exempted low‑water use grasses and varieties adapted to arid environments. "There are grasses that can be grown to establish a turf that are native grasses," Byrd said, and those low‑water or native varieties are not intended to be prohibited. The staff draft retains allowances for trees, shrubs, mulch and landscape rock and permits functional turf or artificial turf when the installation meets the state definition of "functional" (for sports, active play areas and other high‑intensity uses).
On artificial turf, staff told the commission the draft does not create a blanket ban. Instead, it would prohibit nonfunctional artificial turf — synthetic surfaces installed for appearance or to avoid irrigation where no functional use exists — while allowing functional synthetic turf where appropriate. Eric Lumenas, a representative of the Synthetic Turf Council, attended the hearing and told commissioners his group "represents builders and manufacturers, installers" and said it wanted to "collaborate, educate, help you all with this." He said the council worked with legislators on the language in the bill.
Byrd told commissioners staff recommends more robust public outreach and updates to the Town’s landscape and irrigation manual before the town adopts regulations for residential properties; HB 25‑1113 requires the town to adopt residential rules for turf installation by Jan. 1, 2028. Staff proposed conducting that outreach in 2026–27 and returning with specific residential regulations and revisions to the manual.
Commissioners asked for clarification about redevelopment thresholds; Byrd said the state sets a 50 percent threshold and the town would likely interpret that threshold relative to landscape area for water‑conservation purposes. After closing public comment, the commission voted to forward the draft code amendments to the Board of Trustees for a hearing advertised for Oct. 28.
Byrd said staff will not change the existing turf‑area percentages in the irrigation manual for commercial or multifamily development but will apply the nonfunctional‑turf prohibition where appropriate and align the town’s definitions with the state statute.
