Summerlin curbs new lawns

Jennifer Shubinski

Thursday, Nov. 6, 2003 | 11:54 a.m.

Frontyard grass is no longer an option at new homes in the big Summerlin planned community in the western Las Vegas Valley.

Howard Hughes Corp., developer of the community, said Wednesday it has implemented new water conservation guidelines for all new homes in the community. The guidelines were developed with the Southern Nevada Water Authority and incorporate many of the agency's water-smart principles.

Summerlin homes that already have grass or were under contract before Oct. 1 to have grass are not affected by the new rules, officials said.

"Given the current drought and the increasing importance of saving water, all Southern Nevada residents and industries must find a way to be a part of the solution," said Tom Warden, vice president of community relations for Howard Hughes. "As the largest (planned) community in Southern Nevada, Summerlin can make a significant difference in not only saving water, but in setting a good example as well."

While it's hard to quantify just how much water the new rules will save, it is likely to be significant since it's projected that 64,000 homes and apartment units will be built in Summerlin by 2020. As of July, just over half that number has been built, officials said.

Commercial properties are not affected by the new guidelines. Warden said Howard Hughes is working on guidelines that would go beyond current water authority rules for commercial properties.

Under Summerlin's water-smart guidelines for homes, no turf is allowed in front yards and is restricted to 50 percent of the total area of rear and side yards. The surface area of swimming pools, spas and other water features will be counted as turf areas, and is not to exceed 2,000 square feet or 50 percent of the total rear and side yards.

Before the new rules, there were no restrictions on pool size and grass was allowed in both the front and back yards, Warden said.

"As a desert community, we should be embarrassed by the amount of water we use here," he said.

Also part of Summerlin's new guidelines is the prohibition of home misting systems, and various restrictions on irrigation and pool plumbing and draining. Misting systems are already restricted under the water authority's drought plan.

Howard Hughes is requiring that builders offer options to home buyers such as hot water recirculation systems, ultra-high efficiency dishwashers, efficient water softeners and pressure-assisted toilets. Already required by plumbing codes, but included in Summerlin's new rules, is the use of low-water use toilets and faucets as standard features.

While grass will no longer be allowed at new Summerlin homes' front yards, neither are yards of just rocks and sand.

Under the guidelines, front yards must include water-smart plants that cover a minimum of 50 percent of the landscape at two year's growth. Planting areas must be covered with a minimum 2-inch layer of mulch material, such as rock or decomposed granite.

Homeowners can choose from a list of Summerlin-approved plants, which is always expanding, Warden said.

Homes aren't the only ones that are going grassless.

Common areas are not being built with turf unless it will actually be used, like in a park.

"As the years have gone on and the drought has taken hold, there has been more action at the planning table and we've put in less and less turf in common areas," Warden said. "On the design tables, we are not putting any turf in (common areas) expect in parks and activity areas."

Howard Hughes is also starting to work with many of Summerlin's neighborhood associations to retrofit existing common areas to desert landscaping.

Doug Bennett, the water authority's conservation manager, said Howard Hughes has gone beyond what is recommended by the agency.

"Many of (Summerlin's) rules will be requirements (countywide) if we move into drought alert Jan. 1," he said. "Summerlin is ahead of that and the prediction is we will go into drought alert and Summerlin is implementing the standards before then."

Home builders said their clients are embracing the new guidelines.

Mary Connelly, president of William Lyon Homes, said her company is now offering several different desert landscape options for homebuyers. She said the company is also going back to its model homes and retrofitting them with the required landscaping.

Connelly said Lyon Homes' officials are also calling customers who bought homes before the new Summerlin rules -- but that have not yet been built -- to see if they would like to change from grass to desert landscaping.

"We're tying to contact and give homeowners all of the options of changing to a desert landscaping package if they would prefer that," she said. "But in new phases, we will be only offering desertscape going forward."

Pulte Homes, one of the largest home builders in Summerlin, is also going back to homes that were still allowed to have grass, but might still be under construction, to see if homeowners have changed their minds.

"We've got a lot of customers from California and the Midwest and back East, and they see a fare amount of grass all over the city, and they're used to seeing grass and that's what they like," said Randy Bury, division president of Pulte Homes. "But they also understand the sensitivity of the environment and the drought restrictions. Nobody wants to see this escalate to an even bigger problem down the line."

Bury said Pulte Homes is offering homeowners desert landscape options, as well as fake grass, which is growing in popularity.

Summerlin currently does not allow the use of fake grass in its front yards.

Bennett said while Howard Hughes is the first development company to announce a comprehensive approach and requirement to water conservation, other community developers have been working with the water authority.

Focus Property Group, developer of future master-planned communities Mountain's Edge and Cliff's Edge, said it too is working to create an environmentally sensitive and aesthetically pleasing community.

Mountain's Edge, a planned 3,000-acre community in the southwest Las Vegas Valley, which is expected to unveil models at the first of next year, will not have any grass expect in parks where people will actually use it, said John Ritter, chief executive.

"We're very interested in sustainable communities," Ritter said. "I personally feel strongly and have felt strongly for many years that we need to acknowledge the fact that we live in the desert."

Larry Bross, Focus Property Group's director of development, said home builders have committed to the idea of working with desert landscape.

"We can't vouch that 100 percent will do that, but they are all aware that our goal is to be water friendly," Bross said.

Ritter said the community's water-saving qualities will be used in marketing and in possible cross-marketing initiatives with the water authority.

"There will be initiatives to educate the homeowner not only about the importance of the drought, but how they can personally deal with the drought and (we will) market the community as a drought tolerant and environmentally friendly community."

Cliff's Edge is still in the drawing stages but will follow similar water-saving goals, Bross said.

Bennett said it is important that large developers take the lead in water conservation.

"It's a huge demonstration of leadership," he said of Summerlin's new guidelines. "All of the home builders and developers in the region know Howard Hughes is a leader and Summerlin is one of the most sought-after communities. People will live in the neighborhoods and still have an excellent quality of life."

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