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Letter of support for artificial turf. Item 2, MSC Meeting 2026-03-24 From Gary Lai
Date Fri 3/20/2026 10:23 AM
To cityclerk <[email protected]>
I 1 attachment (69 KB)
Letter of support for artificial turf ban-City of Pasadena.pdf; You don't often get email from_-'arn why this is important [A] CAUTION: This email was delivered from the Internet. Do not click links or open attachments unless you know the content is safe. Report phish using the Phish Alert Button. For more information about the Phish Alert Button view article "KB0011474" on the DolT portal.
Hello,
Please attach this letter of support for the banning of artificial turf as a public comment for Item #2, Municipal Services Committee meeting on 3/24/2026.
Thank you.
-Gary Lai
QUIXOTIC
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS
Gary J. Lai, CA PLA 4054, LEED AP BD+C
Principal and Founder
Pasadena, CA
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Past-Chair of the Board
https://outlook.office.com/mail/none/id/AAkALgAAAAAAHYQDEapmEc2byACqAC%2FEWgOAcll4tyWJHOuQlnZCPB9nkAAHpE6CJgAA?nativeVersio...1/1
QUIXOTIC
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Gary J. Lai
ASLA, LEED AP BD+C
Principal
California License PLA 4054
City Clerk of the City of Pasadena
Municipal Services Committee
City of Pasadena
March 20, 2026
RE: Letter of support for proposed artificial turf ban
To: Municipal Services Committee
As a landscape architect and sustainability expert with over 35 years of experience based in Pasadena, I strongly support any initiative aimed at curbing the use of artificial turf within the City of Pasadena.
The utilization of artificial turf in both residential and commercial settings poses significant environmental challenges. It contributes to soil erosion and exacerbates the effects of extreme heat, while failing to provide the advantages of natural materials in terms of evaporative cooling, stormwater infiltration, and carbon sequestration.
While it is essential to evaluate all turf areas and restrict their use to essential activities such as sports and recreation, artificial turf compounds the environmental impact by negating the positive effects of natural materials. Even in the context of water conservation, artificial turf necessitates irrigation systems to maintain a cool surface temperature, even during moderately hot days. For instance, the high temperatures experienced in recent weeks (March 2026) render an unirrigated artificial sports field unusable and unsafe due to the excessive heat generated by the field materials and the risk of severe bums.
In summary, artificial turf is more costly to install, requires ongoing maintenance, and consumes water while failing to offer the benefits associated with natural materials.
Sincerely,
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Gary J. Lai, PLA, ASLA, LEED AP BD+C
Adjunct Faculty, CalPoly Pomona, Landscape Architecture