Drought-Resistant Turf Costing Some Glendale Business Owners

GLENDALE (CBSLA.com) — The transition to drought-resistant plants may be bringing in less green to some local businesses in one Glendale neighborhood.

KNX 1070's Margaret Carrero reports the landscaping chosen by city officials to replace grassy areas in Montrose isn't sitting well with either customers and business owners.:

It's all part of an effort by the city of Glendale to reach its state-mandated goal of reducing water usage by 20 percent - a mandate, officials say, that required them to remove any grass landscaping not using reclaimed water.

One of the affected areas includes the Montrose shopping park along Honolulu Avenue where the outdoor patio of the Montrose Bakery and Cafe sits next to a slab of decomposed granite.

While the new landscaping may be drought-resistant, Montrose Bakery owner Henry Baeza says whenever the wind picks up, so does the dust, forcing him to replace customers' plates because the grit has gotten into their food.

City spokesperson Tom Lorenz has heard the complaints and said they've worked closely with the business association to make some progress.

"There is more planting to come...in fact, this Wednesday is another meeting to go over what's the next steps to continue to improve walkways where the turf is removed," said Lorenz. "So we continue to make it better."