February 26, 2025
Via email: CityMgr@cityofpaloalto.org
CC: Ed.Lauing@CityofPaloAlto.org, HollyBoyd@cityofpaloalto.org
Subject: Public Response to the City Manager’s reply to the Public Sierra Club Comment on Boulware Park and Synthetic Turf
Dear Mr. Shikada,
Although we appreciate the promptness of the Boulware Park response from your staff we must express our disappointment with what we regard as the essence of that response.
Artificial turf is not a perfectly acceptable alternative in the departmental toolbox requiring no analysis or notification to commissions or neighbors. It is controversial from a health standpoint and has been so for decades. Controversial materials should not be made known to neighbors only by its installation. For example, regarding safety, these URLs may be of interest,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8MDXyQKnFA
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1382668924002023?via%3Dihub
Regarding ADA (Adults with Disabilities Act) compliant surfaces, perhaps the TURI (Toxic Use Reduction Institute) PDF document and associated table will be of interest as well. Note that EWF (engineered wood fiber), which differs from ordinary wood mulch, is both ADA compliant and chemically safe.
We hope future parks and landscape planning will be more open and transparent, especially to those living nearby.
Sincerely yours,
Susan Hinton
Chair, Plastic Pollution Prevention Committee
Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter
https://www.sierraclub.org/loma-prieta/plastic-pollution-prevention
P.S. See below on ADA Compliant Surfaces, from the TURI (Toxic Use Reduction Institute) Report 2018-003 Playground and Surfacing.pdf
https://www.uml.edu/docs/Playground_surfacing_report_Dec2023_tcm18-377890.pdf
