Douglas County proposes limits on nonfunctional turf, invasive plants
The draft zoning changes would apply to certain new and redevelopment projects while preserving turf used for qualifying civic, community and recreational purposes.
Douglas County staff are proposing zoning changes that would prohibit nonfunctional turf, nonfunctional artificial turf and invasive plant species in certain new development and redevelopment projects. The draft would allow turf used for qualifying civic, community and recreational purposes.
The proposal, identified as project DR2026-001, is scheduled for consideration by the Douglas County Planning Commission on Sept. 28 and the Board of County Commissioners on Oct. 27. It has not been adopted and is not county law, according to the staff agenda item and proposed zoning text.
The rules would apply to commercial, institutional and industrial properties; common-interest-community properties; street rights-of-way, parking lots, medians and transportation corridors; and multifamily properties with more than 12 dwelling units. The staff report says the multifamily provisions would cover new or redeveloped projects approved after Jan. 1, 2026.
A redevelopment project generally would be one requiring a building or landscaping permit, plan check or design review that disturbs more than half of the aggregate landscape area. The proposal would amend Sections 27, 32 and 36 of the Douglas County Zoning Resolution.
The draft would allow functional turf and functional artificial turf in areas that regularly serve civic, community or recreational purposes, including playgrounds, sports fields, picnic grounds, amphitheaters, portions of parks, fairgrounds, stadiums, arenas, performing-arts centers and cemeteries. Artificial turf incorporated into a professional-engineer-approved civil-infrastructure product also could qualify for uses including solid-waste facilities, brownfield sites, slopes, channels, levees and dams.
The draft defines nonfunctional turf as turf that does not meet the functional-use definition, including turf in street rights-of-way, parking lots, medians and transportation corridors. An exception would apply to turf used in a required water-quality treatment solution if it is not irrigated and no herbicides are applied.
The invasive-plant restriction would cover nonnative plants that can harm Colorado’s environment or economy, including noxious weeds. Native species would remain allowed. Existing landscaping provisions also would remain, including a requirement that at least 15% of a site’s gross area contain live plant material, subject to existing exceptions.
Water providers requested additional changes. Staff revised the redevelopment definition in response to a request from Dominion Water and Sanitation District and said it was researching guidance for water-wise landscape plans. The record does not show that most of the other requests were incorporated, including requests to add functional areas, create a compliant plant list, prohibit rather than discourage high-water-use plants, and tighten limits on overhead sprinklers.
A request to limit qualifying recreational areas to active uses also was not included. County Parks staff said that standard could be too restrictive and sought flexibility in determining what counts as functional recreation within parks.
The proposal would retain a process allowing water providers to recommend additional landscaping restrictions during landscape-plan review. Staff said it would continue researching guidance for applicants, and both reviewing bodies could recommend or require changes before final action.