Langford considers ending artificial turf program on city boulevards
Langford city council will soon vote on whether to keep installing artificial turf along city boulevards, or go back to using sod.
Some think installing artificial turf along several of Langford’s boulevards was a brilliant idea.
"I think it’s the greatest thing ever invented for boulevards," said resident John Meredith.
Joan Traversy also thinks it looks good.
"I think it looks better than dead grass in the middle of summer," said Traversy.
But others believe it looks a bit tacky.
"It just looks fake," said Dylan Ringma. "You can tell it’s turf."
"Just grow grass," said local Arten Hryvtsov.
In 2017, Langford began laying down turf along some of its boulevards "with the idea that it would save the city and developers money," said Scott Goodmanson, the mayor of Langford.
According to a new Langford staff report, since the city began using the artificial grass, that has not been the case.
"It’s possibly going to cost much more because it eventually wears out and it has to be completely replaced," said Goodmanson.
The maintenance of the turf has turned out to be much more expensive than expected.
"There’s lots of areas that you can see garbage buildup, you can see weeds poking through, and repairs aren’t cheap," said the mayor.
The City of Langford incentivized the turf pilot project, paying 65 per cent of costs to install them, leaving developers to pay the remaining 35 per cent.
Costs for turf has now increased by 64 per cent since the program started.
The study shows the anticipated savings have not been met, and that turf is bad for the environment.
Langford council will vote on Monday night to either continue to install the turf going forward, or go back to sod.
Either way, what isn’t on the table is what to do with the turf that has already been installed.
"If we reverted back to sod, this is step one, and we’ll worry about step two at that point further down the road," said Goodmanson.
Artificial turf is pictured along Constellation Avenue in Langford, B.C. (CTV News)
Feelings are mixed from Langford residents.
"Oh I hope not," said Meredith. "I hope they continue with the project."
"I think that the actual grass looks nicer and it just looks better," said resident Savannah Stone.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.