Joining the movement for water-wise policy across the drought beset West, the city of Holladay in September amended key aspects of its land use code to impose landscaping standards on new construction along with some renovation projects, which is meant to improve water efficiency.

Though the amendments technically target new construction and large remodels, which are likely to have minor influence in a built-out place like Holladay, the city council’s driving motivation is to make its residents eligible for rebates offered by Utah Central Valley Water Conservancy District (CVWCD), which offers generous residential reimbursements for water-wise landscape projects—but only in cities that meet certain water-efficiency standards.

The decision came at the prodding of residents who’ve petitioned the council in recent years to take action on drought resiliency. 

“We feel like it’d be a good thing to adopt the guidelines for landscaping. This would give individuals like us, as well as organizations like our church in Holladay, a chance to modify our landscape to be more water-wise. It’s a significant amount of money and it could help us quite a bit,” said Holladay resident Becky Bruridge, speaking at a public hearing in September. 

“We live in a desert and we really need to be responsible citizens. We need to conserve our resources whenever we can,” she said.

By adopting the ordinance, new single family residential properties must approve a landscape design that limits front and side yard landscaping to 35% turf grass, with zero grass allowed on patches of less than 8 feet or slopes with a gradient above 25%.

Commercial properties are limited to 20% turf grass, with exemptions for properties that accommodate turf-centric activity, like community centers. Officials with CVWCD explained these standards are designed to reduce water-heavy landscaping in areas where it is not traditionally utilized. 

“This ordinance is focused on the front side yards because that's the least used landscaped area generally. We're not anti-turf, but we want to limit it to spaces that are actually going to be used and not there just as the default ground cover,” said Savannah Peterson, conservation program manager with Central Valley Water Conservancy District.

Holladay councilmembers expressed ambivalence with some components of the new standards, including property rights, concern for tree canopies, as well as whether or not the approach was too “one-size-fits-all.” 

“Where I struggle on this is that value is subjective, and some people place more value on having a lawn in their front yard than others,” said Ty Brewer, of District 1, who was the sole dissenting vote in the amendment’s 4-1 passage. 

Brewer also raised concerns about the possibility of aesthetic degradation, as well as the added cost for builders, who are now required to submit landscape architecture plans as part of the permit process. “I have concerns about the affordability of homes, because it's one other cost in building,” he said. 

John Teerlink, planning director for the city, said the standards, which are currently the same for municipalities statewide, may need to be adjusted in the future to accommodate region-specific needs. 

“Because they standardized all the requirements across the state, places like Tooele and Holladay now have the exact same requirements, but they're two completely different areas. We have different water tables, different water providers with different tree canopy situations. Even different ecosystems,” he said. 

Teerlink added that planners around the state have called attention to the fact that the program offers no solution or help with enforcement, raising questions about how to address violations if they occur as properties change hands over time. 

“There's no oversight in the long run as to what the next owner does. Do they just put all the grass back in? Landscaping can change over the weekend. And there’s not much the city can do as far as forcing the homeowner to go back to what was previously approved,” he said. 

One way CVWCD hopes to sustain resiliency gains is through its education program, which the rebate program began requiring participation in this year.

As an example, the courses explain how to make trees more drought resilient through drip irrigation systems, which encourages deeper root systems while reducing water use. However, Peterson admits that established trees can experience drought stress when converting from overhead to drip irrigation, which must be mitigated by other irrigation measures.  

So far this year, Peterson says the residential rebate program has saved 51 acre feet of water, or 16.6 million gallons. 

“For homeowners, that’s thousands and thousands and thousands of gallons of water, and that’s going to be saved repetitively year after year,” she said. 

The landscaping standards are amongst an array of rebates and policies that state leaders are pushing in response to the ongoing drought conditions across the region. Other programs include rebates for smart water irrigation systems, which perform tasks like automatically turning off sprinklers on rainy days; as well as rebates for water-wasting toilets built before the 1990s; along with programs for agricultural entities to improve crop-watering efficiency. 

Taken together, leaders believe the policies will help shore up water reserves and ensure healthy storage levels in rivers, reservoirs, aquifers and lakes.

Ultimately, the majority council felt confident the decision would provide for the continuation of neighborhood character and healthy tree canopies, help smartly manage water resources, and give residents the opportunity to participate in desired rebate programs. 

“I think we’ve really minimized the burden on the cost side to our residents, while opening up the bag of carrots that our constituents seek,” said Councilmember Paul Fotheringham. “I think we’ve found a good balance.” λ