Artificial turf

Urged the council to ban artificial turf in city parks and make natural grass the official default, based on the completed study.

Consultant for a global artificial turf manufacturer thanked staff for the study and argued modern turf meets the city's objectives.

Sierra Club conservation chair cited Menlo Park's decade of pesticide-free park maintenance and urged staff to consult with that city.

Sunnyvale Alliance Soccer Club operations manager said field scarcity forces the club to rent private fields at up to $300 an hour, a burden on a nonprofit serving low-income families.

Opposed restrictive fencing and limited use in community parks; urged better field management, a dedicated natural-grass sports complex, and a ban on artificial turf.

AYSO coach described extreme heat on turf fields and questioned the cost comparison methodology, urging total-cost-of-ownership accounting including lights and fencing.

Cited biased survey questions and cost errors in the report; supported an organic pilot over several high-use fields, suggesting Baylands Park.

Strongly opposed accepting the study, citing microplastics, flawed cost comparisons, and unproven recycling; urged an organic pilot at multiple sites and a moratorium on residential and commercial turf.

Sierra Club Loma Prieta conservation chair noted school fields are used during the day, questioned field closure practices, and warned Pivot turf sheds and runs hot.

Highlighted that survey responses were heavily skewed away from the zip codes where Fair Oaks and Lakewood are located, urging the city to prioritize input from all communities.

Sunnyvale Alliance executive director said grass fields are often unplayable and described the high maintenance burden of natural grass, supporting artificial turf.

Compared plastic grass to paving a field, questioned why it must be green, and urged keeping plastic out of parks.

Cited turf's pollution, chemical leaching, carbon footprint, and heat; disputed claims about rain-related field closures and strongly opposed artificial grass.

Questioned the 2,000-hour industry standard driving the cost comparison and urged skepticism toward industry recycling claims.

TenCate consultant said modern turf is PFAS-free, cooler without infill, recyclable, and cheaper over the field's life.

Beyond Pesticides representative asked council not to accept the report without corrections and to hire outside organic land-care expertise before choosing pilot sites.

Described health effects near turf at Fremont High School and proposed converting underused golf courses into sports fields instead of turfing parks.

Said the report over-focuses on sports usage, warned the decision tree leaves too much to interpretation, and noted turf infill cannot be recycled.

Presented on PFAS contamination, heat risks to children, and landfill impacts, urging no artificial turf in Sunnyvale parks.

Described limitations of the artificial turf at Fair Oaks Park — no food, dogs, tents, or stakes — and asked the study to highlight those limits transparently.

TenCate Grass manager promoted Pivot Performance Turf as PFAS-free, recyclable, cooler, and safer, and offered local fields to visit.

Soccer volunteer supported a blended case-by-case approach and urged the city not to take away year-round play at Fair Oaks Park for low-income players.

Urged the city to ban artificial turf in parks, saying fenced turf fields shrink usable park space, hold heat, and serve a select group over the general public. Also spoke for Sunnyvale Urban Forest Advocates in support of natural grass.

A consultant for turf manufacturer Tencate Grass, he touted industry improvements: PFAS-free products, a Louisiana recycling facility, and infill-free turf that runs 30-50 degrees cooler.