ST. PETE BEACH — A new state law bars St. Pete Beach from banning artificial turf on residential lots of one acre or less, effectively covering nearly every single-family property in the city.
Senior Planner Brandon Berry briefed the Planning Board on the legislation, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in June, and outlined the limited regulatory tools the city still has at its disposal.
“This applies only to single-family residences, lots of one acre or less — that’s virtually all single-family residential properties in St. Pete Beach,” Berry said.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is developing uniform standards to implement the mandate.
The law still prohibits synthetic turf in swales, which are typically side yards, and within tree drip lines unless an arborist certifies the installation. A tree’s drip line is the imaginary circle on the ground beneath the outermost tips of its branches, where natural grass captures rain that drips off the canopy.
Artificial turf also cannot be installed seaward of any dune system or within 10 feet of the mean high-water line where no seawall exists. Berry noted most island properties have seawalls, and in those cases turf can extend to the seawall cap.
Under the law, in-ground irrigation systems cannot be used to water synthetic turf. If a system is already in place, the city may require that sprinkler heads be removed and pipes capped.
The turf and its backing and infill materials must not contain heavy metals or intentionally added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as “forever chemicals.” Installation must be designed to prevent pooling or increased stormwater runoff to neighboring properties, with runoff directed to on-site pervious areas where possible.
Berry said St. Pete Beach retains authority over two key areas: subgrade permeability and infill materials.
“We can set limits, if we wanted, of 10 inches per hour as the standard,” Berry said of permeability. “We can also require that infill be silica, rock shell or other natural materials.”
He noted that well-engineered synthetic turf can achieve percolation rates of up to six inches per hour, compared with one to two inches per hour for the sandy soil typical of St. Pete Beach. During a typical rainstorm, about an inch of rain falls per hour; severe thunderstorms can produce two to three inches per hour and tropical storms three to six inches.
“Having that higher percolation rate, as long as it has somewhere to go, can be a good thing,” Berry said.
The law contains no exemption for historically designated properties. It also does not apply to multifamily or commercial properties, though Berry said it could serve as a guide for regulating those uses.
Berry cautioned that natural grass does not reach the extreme temperatures of synthetic turf, which research shows can hit 160 degrees or more in summer. He said Planning Board members had previously raised concerns about heat effects and the loss of ecological value when synthetic materials replace natural grass or groundcovers — issues the state rule does not appear to address directly.
The rule also lacks most direct quality standards, Berry said, although it requires the turf to be recyclable.
Staff recommended leaving current regulations on multifamily and commercial properties in place. Under those rules, synthetic turf is limited to 20% of required permeable areas and cannot interfere with drainage or adversely affect buffered areas.
Berry asked whether the board wanted to extend the new residential standards to multifamily and commercial properties, set a maximum subgrade permeability or require sprinklers to cool turf surfaces. He added that cooling synthetic turf with water can increase plastic runoff.
Board members questioned why the city would set a maximum permeability. Berry said it would be particularly useful where French drains are involved, to control runoff toward streets or waterways. A French drain is a trench with a perforated pipe that redirects surface and groundwater away from structures, using gravity to prevent flooding and erosion.
Board member Cindy Perry said the city’s review had been more thorough than the state’s.
“I feel at this point I need to wait and see what the state does, because we don’t know what the final product will be,” Perry said, adding that the board would need to reconcile its recommendations with whatever standards the state adopts.
City attorney Ralf Brooks said modifications to the proposed state rule could be challenged in an administrative hearing before they become final.
Once the state standards are adopted, the Planning Board plans to recommend an ordinance to the City Commission. Berry said staff would draft the ordinance incorporating the board’s input, with a presentation to the commission expected within a couple of months.