Santa Clarita Urged to Clip Lawn Sizes

A private consultant has recommended that Santa Clarita restrict the size of new lawns to 10 by 10 feet to keep grass clippings from choking landfills. City Council members reacted skeptically, one saying that homeowners won’t accept yards “not much bigger than my desk.”

The recommendation is contained in the preliminary draft of a report that advises Santa Clarita on how to comply with a state law that requires cities to divert 25% of their solid waste from landfills by 1995 and 50% by the year 2000.

The report, which the city paid EcoSource International of Westwood $84,000 to prepare, stated that more than 16% of the 96,506 tons of residential garbage generated annually is made up of grass clippings and other materials from yards, known as “green waste.”

“Clearly, the idea is to restrict the area of lawns to reduce grass clippings and to save water,” said Mary Loquvam, who oversaw preparation of the report.

Loquvam said her firm considered recommending a total ban on new lawns but decided that such a proposal stood no chance of being adopted.

The suggestion appeared doomed anyway in a community where many residents are required by homeowner associations to transform their naturally arid yards into verdant oases.

“It’s my worst nightmare--to be told what size lawn to have or what color house,” Councilwoman Jill Klajic said. “It would be a last resort.”

Councilman Howard (Buck) McKeon agreed, saying that 100 square feet of grass “is not much bigger than my desk. . . . I just don’t see it happening.”

The public has until May 6 to comment on the report, which will be edited before it is submitted to the state this summer, city officials said.

The report said that in 1990, the city generated about 185,600 tons of waste, 52% of which was residential, 34% commercial and 14% industrial.

Among other suggestions, the report recommends that the city:

* Require developers to landscape with drought-resistant vegetation and leave room in each project for a compost heap where green waste could be diverted from landfills.

* Initiate a series of seminars on composting and distribute compost bins.

* Open a community garden at a local park and allow residents to start compost heaps there.

* Ban hospitals from using disposable diapers.

* Explore the possibility of charging residents, excluding the elderly and disabled, extra fees based on the amount of garbage generated.

* Expand curbside recycling programs.

* Ban yard and construction waste at regional landfills.

* Contract with a commercial tree service to collect residential yard waste and recycle it as mulch.

* Implement a recycling program at City Hall and require companies that employ more than 100 people to devise in-house recycling programs.

* Establish a center operated by the Department of Public Works to provide information on recycling and other aspects of landfill reduction.