In July 2008, the Kearney Plaza pedestrian corridor became a testing ground for artificial turf. This particular greenbrownspace had long been a maintenance nightmare for the Hoyt Street Yards Community Association (HSYCA).. Poor drainage and extremely heavy dog traffic required the sod to be replaced every few years. Even then, the result was a boggy mess—until SYNLawn entered the picture.
Bryce Stephens, Senior Property Manager at Multi-Services, discovered SYNLawn on the Street of Dreams. Because it looked so real and was highly recommended for use in dog areas, Stephens proposed testing the artificial turf in the Kearney greenbrownspace. Over the past year, the patch of SYNLawn was left to the environment and the, um, dogs.
As a frequent traveler in this corridor, I think the SYNLawn held up remarkably well. The more use it got, the better it looked (the grass starts with a shiny look that wears down over time)—unlike the other two patches of natural grass mud. I never thought that I would be a fan of artificial turf, but the SYNLawn addressed a host of issues and looked pretty darn good doing it.
Neighborhood Notes recently received a tip that changes were planned for the Kearney Plaza corridor. Rather than blanket all three patches in SYNLawn, HSYCA has decided to go au naturale: "After testing the SYNLawn for a year, HSYCA has decided to landscape these areas rather than install the artificial turf" explains Tiffany Sweitzer, President of HSYCA and Hoyt Street Properties, "While the turf held up pretty well, it is still not real grass and the overall cost was the highest."
Work is already underway on the new landscaping, which will include slightly raised beds (to address the drainage issues) and shrubs (which should hold up better to the dogs). Other landscape features include paths, benches and boulders—everything except grass.
"I am sure many Pearl District residents will be very upset when they learn there will be no grass as this is a very popular area for residents to potty their dogs and mingle," says one concerned resident who wishes to remain anonymous.
The project will be complete in about a week. In very short order, we'll know if the new landscaping passes the sniff test.
