Here’s a partial list of considerations Orlando requires when working with artificial turf:
Save the Trees
Orlando requires that artificial turf projects follow a few aesthetic and functional rules. The city prohibits the turf within the drip line of any trees. The drip line is any water that would fall directly from the tree to the ground. This ensures the tree gets watered every time it rains.
Create Separation
Regarding landscaping projects, Orlando requires some form of separation between living, and non-living things. Usually this is a strip of concrete, a curb, or even paving stones.
Make It Natural Looking
The turf must be natural looking from the street. No blue or red turf allowed, even to support your favorite team. All turf must simulate natural grass, unless it is completely hidden from view. Even fences may not provide an adequate barrier, so pre-approval is a must.
Prohibited In Historic Restoration Districts
No artificial turf can be installed on any historical property. This is in an effort to maintain the historical accuracy of these locations. Even building materials must be approved to make repairs in these districts to control the aesthetic.
Zoning Compliance and Permits
The city requires approval from the Orlando building department before approving a landscaping permit. This review will make sure your specific location is approved based on the terrain, proximity to water, and impact on local wildlife.
Artificial turf materials provide no nutrients, nor nesting materials for animals and insects. This is great for the field, but perhaps less so for the local environment. As such, cities like Orlando enforce rules and regulations when artificial turf is to be installed.
Location Restrictions:
In Orlando, artificial turf cannot be installed within 50’ of natural bodies of water, and certain rights-of-way. The city requires a permit from the engineering department before installations are begun. Orlando authorities want to ensure that the natural environment surrounding the artificial turf is not significantly affected.
The first restriction helps prevent any damage to the soil caused by the artificial turf from entering the body of water. Artificial turf interrupts the natural process established between insects and the soil, so the city wants to ensure these insects still have a natural habitat.
The second prevents anyone from installing artificial turf where others also have a right-of-way. An example might be a shared driveway or other space, where no one entity has complete control over the use of the space.
Aesthetics and Maintenance:
Artificial turf must look like natural turf in color and appearance, and owners are responsible for keeping the turf free from disrepair. Artificial turf that leaks can cause significant erosion by diverting rainwater to a low area, causing flooding as well.
Artificial turf is not allowed to be used as indoor/outdoor carpeting. This would apply to indoor spaces that open out to an outdoor space, such as a backyard patio. The indoor space cannot share artificial turf with an outdoor space, as this could trap moisture and channel it under the house.
Limited Impervious Surface Size
Orlando does not prohibit the use of any type of playing field directly, so both pervious, and impervious fields are permitted. Artificial turf falls into the impervious category, meaning it does not effectively absorb water as natural soil would.
Drainage:
Artificial turf installations must have minimum drainage abilities. This is known as the field’s permeability, and the city requires minimums by code. This minimum permeability ensures that other nearby impervious surfaces, like asphalt or concrete, cannot combine the effect and create flooding and erosion.
However, artificial turf fields in Orlando are designed to drain as well, or better than, natural soil. This is why so many professional sports teams use artificial turf fields.
Institutional and Public Uses
In Orlando, artificial turf installations are generally prohibited from public spaces, but there are exceptions. Artificial turf is so much easier to repair and maintain than natural grass that many municipalities have had to take action.
The rules Orlando enforces are mostly concerned with public safety and environmental impact. As mentioned earlier, the city is also keenly interested in the appearance of the field, and how it will be maintained.