Residents urge council to reject costly turf consulting contract and favor natural alternatives at neighborhood parks

During Monday’s public comment period at the Palo Alto City Council meeting, several residents urged the council to decline a proposed contract with a turf industry consultant and instead to prioritize natural or non-plastic surfacing at neighborhood parks.

Speakers — including residents of the Ventura neighborhood near Boulevard Park and John Boulware/John Boulevard Park — urged the city to avoid artificial turf for playgrounds and dog runs. They cited public-health and environmental concerns: regular washing requirements for turf, higher installation and replacement costs compared with natural grass, microplastic runoff and chemical additives used in some infill products. Commenters suggested engineered wood fiber as an ADA-compliant alternative for playground safety surfacing.

One resident, Angela de la Porta, asked the council to use readily available public research rather than awarding a $160,000 contract to a company that installs artificial turf. Magdalena Cabrera, who identified herself as a four-time cancer survivor, urged councilors to prioritize children’s health and asked city leaders to allocate study funds instead to replace synthetic turf at John Boulevard Park with engineered wood fiber.

Another resident with years of experience in stormwater pollution prevention said microplastics and synthetic “Envirofill” infill materials shed, create runoff and present “cradle-to-grave” disposal concerns; she pointed to other cities, such as Millbrae, that have restricted synthetic turf use.

Council members acknowledged the public concern and noted an upcoming agenda item (an action item on the March 18 calendar) to consider a scope of work for professional services related to synthetic turf. The council did not take an immediate policy vote at Monday’s meeting; speakers asked councilors to reject the contact and consider natural surfacing options for city parks.