Trustees debate artificial turf limits and drainage after BZA case prompts review

A recent Board of Zoning Appeals application prompted the Flower Hill trustees to revisit village rules on artificial turf, with trustees expressing concerns about runoff, product quality and the need for engineering review.

Trustee discussion centered on differences between inexpensive roll-out turf sold at retail stores, which can block drainage, and higher-grade engineered turf installed on a crushed-stone base that drains like grass. “If we’re gonna entertain allowing artificial turf anywhere, I think that they need to bring a sample in and show the specs on it then,” said a trustee urging a formal specification requirement.

Zoning and planning staff recommended the board require product specification sheets and an engineering review for drainage and base construction before permits are issued. Trustees discussed possible restrictions for front yards and suggested screening or transitional landscaping to avoid abrupt edges where turf meets lawn.

The board directed staff to draft code language and scheduled a public hearing on the proposed turf code update for March 2. Staff said the draft will include permeability requirements and an engineering-review trigger, and that the ARC and engineering reviewers would be consulted before any formal code change.

Board members also referenced the broader history of turf regulation, noting that older products used shredded tires but that modern turf systems generally use different infill and improved materials; any draft language will seek to address performance and neighbor drainage concerns.