Baldwin Park, CA Landscaping Rules: Artificial Turf (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- New projects with 2+ residential units
- Does not apply to
- Single-family residences
- Prohibited materials
- Artificial turf and artificial plants
- Exception elsewhere in code
- Abandoned properties may use artificial turf/sod
- Adopting ordinance
- Ord. 1502, passed 7-5-23
- Penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine or 6 months jail
Summary
New multi-family and mixed-use residential developments in Baldwin Park cannot use artificial turf or artificial plants anywhere in required landscaping under Objective Design Standards § 153.135.050(A)(11). The rule does not reach single-family yards, and the city separately allows artificial turf or sod for landscaping bank-owned, abandoned properties under § 150.255(C).
(A) Landscaping. The following objective landscape design standards are in addition to the landscape standards in §§ 153.150.110, 153.160.030, 153.160.040, and 153.160.050. ... (11) Prohibited artificial materials. Artificial turf and plants are prohibited.
Full Breakdown
Baldwin Park's Objective Design Standards for Multi-Family, adopted by Ord. 1502 in 2023, govern new residential projects of two or more dwelling units, including duplexes, triplexes, flats, townhouses and mid-rise buildings, plus mixed-use projects where residential space is at least two-thirds of the square footage. 010(B) states the chapter does not apply to single-family residences, historic properties, commercial-only projects, or any other non-residential projects. 050(A) sets objective landscape standards for site details, and item (11) is absolute: artificial turf and plants are prohibited. The same subsection requires front-yard buffers of street-facing units to carry a four-foot-deep landscaped strip, caps real turf at 30% of the landscaped area, and limits non-plant materials such as decomposed granite, bark or rock to 20% of any landscaped area, with gravel barred outright.
The prohibition sits alongside a narrow, opposite rule elsewhere in the code. 255(C) lists permitted landscaping for bank-owned or foreclosed properties that a beneficiary or trustee must maintain, and it expressly includes 'artificial turf/sod designed specifically for residential installation' alongside grass, groundcover and bark. That allowance exists only to keep an abandoned property from looking vacant; it does not apply to occupied single-family or multi-family lots outside foreclosure.
Violations & Fines
Violations of the Objective Design Standards are Zoning Code violations. Under § 153.020.090(C), the Code Enforcement Officer designated by the City Manager enforces the standard, and any person or entity violating it is subject to the general penalty at § 10.99: a misdemeanor carrying up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail, or an infraction with escalating $100, $200 and $500 fines for repeat violations of the same section within a year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put artificial turf in my Baldwin Park yard?
Why does the code allow artificial turf on some properties but not others?
What happens if a multi-family project installs artificial turf anyway?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Baldwin Park
How Baldwin Park compares: Most Artificial Turf-Friendly Cities·California rules heatmap·Compare Baldwin Park to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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