Santa Clara County rejects artificial turf ban
SUNNYVALE, Calif. - The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors late on Tuesday afternoon rejected a ban on artifical turf.
The ban would have applied to all county-owned property and could have prevented the construction of new turf sports fields and required existing turf facilities to switch to grass at the time the existing turf needed to be replaced.
Both versions of the ordinance were rejected by county supervisors.
Some Santa Clara County leaders who were in favor of the artificial turf ban believe natural grass fields are physically and medically safer.
If the ban had been enacted, it would affect future fields that have plastic playing grounds, such as the county-owned Twin Creeks Sports Complex in Sunnyvale.
What we know:
County Supervisor Otto Lee said he is introducing a resolution on Tuesday at the board of supervisors meeting to support the turf ban.
He gathered together doctors and community leaders who said that the artificial grass leads to more injuries for kids. Chemicals in the turf, they said, can also lead to long-lasting health problems, including cancer.
Lee's supporters are also worried about the dangers of turf fields in the heat.
The other side:
But those against the ban argue that turf offers more access to fields and parks, and gives kids more opportunities to play, especially after rainstorms.
Turf is also easier to maintain than grass, they said, and also saves water.
"There are a lot of studies that show there's no correlation there," Sandra Todd, Sunnyvale Alliance Club board member, said. "Yes, we should be concerned about plastic chemicals, but we should not be scaring our youth and parents that going out and playing sports is going to cause cancer."
Local perspective:
The ban would affect any new, county-owned land.
But there would be a handful of exceptions.
It would not get rid of any parks with turf currently under contract.
Big picture view:
San Jose Spotlight reported that some cities have been reevaluating their use of artificial turf.
Palo Alto’s Finance Committee halted plans to replace a lawn near the Menlo Park border with artificial turf. Parents and advocates lobbied the Sunnyvale City Council to not install an artificial turf field during the Lakewood Park renovations, and the city is studying a potential ban.
Supervisors considered the same ban in August 2024 but then decided to delay the issue after asking staff to conduct a public health study.
What's next:
If passed on Tuesday, there will be a second vote next week.