Lawn proposal sparks city turf war-City mandates topsoil, bans St. Augustine grass

[The Straight Story]

Lawn proposal sparks city turf war
TEXAS:

In recent years members of the Boerne City Council have had many turf battles over policy issues ranging from zoning to ethics, but Tuesday the councilmen battled over the real thing.

In a 3-2 vote council members rejected a staff recommendation to allow St. Augustine grass and approved a proposal to require topsoil in newly established yards.

Planning and Community Development Director Chris Turk’s suggestion to allow St. Augustine grass because it does well in the deep shade of large oak trees drew withering fire from Councilman Bob Manning.

“I absolutely disagree with you,” Manning said. “This would be going backwards. We still live on the edge of a desert and this is a bad idea.”

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The city banned St. Augustine grass in new yards in 2004 because studies have shown it requires more water to sustain than other types of grass. None of the current councilmen were on the council then, although Mayor Dan Heckler was a councilman at the time. Heckler was on vacation and did not attend Tuesday’s meeting.

http://boernestar.com/articles/2009/09/25/news/doc4abbd5126ca77352372511.txt

[Javaman]

1. it takes 140 inches of rain a year for that crap, St. Augustine, to grow.

10 inches a year for Buffalo Grass.