Community Commentary:

In a recent news article, it was suggested that David Wood’s synthetic lawn is a controversial violation of city codes (“Not the typical turf war,” Aug. 7). Forgive me for failing to see the controversy in such an isolated case.

It is not as if Wood is scattering auto parts on his lawn, asking to put cardboard cutouts of Hollywood celebrities in front of his house, or even mounting those dreaded plastic flamingos. Then I would understand calling the tacky police and issuing a citation.

But a front lawn with pleasant-looking artificial grass is sensible. Just as the law often has to interpret what a “reasonable” person would do when deciding court cases, reasonableness should be the standard when deciding personal freedoms in adorning your own yard.

I own a home in Glendale and understand that uniform codes are necessary to maintain property values and keep a neighborhood from falling into decay. Yet, I also understand that an artificial lawn is much nicer than a brown lawn peppered with weeds. A city cannot ask its residents to be water wise and maintain perfectly manicured, lush lawns similar to the Huntington Library. With everything in life there has to be a give and take.

Yes, there is debate regarding synthetic grass. It can be potentially abrasive when playing sports if someone falls and scrapes their leg. There is concern that the temperature of artificial turf may be higher than normal grass when in the sun. There is even debate about artificial turf’s carbon footprint.

Judging from the size of the photograph in the newspaper, however, football teams will be unlikely to run passing routes on Wood’s front lawn. It also does not seem like the lawn will be a major contributor to global environmental decay. Because artificial turf is clearly a water-saver, clarity would suggest that the controversy over fake lawns, in this case, is mainly an argument about aesthetics.

This is relevant to the city because some purchases, such as solar panels, might be eco-friendly and less than visually stunning — and even solar panels have been decried because of their potential for toxic waste during manufacturing. This suggests that every decision has negative consequences, and we often have to be clear about what we value most.