[Massplanners] mowing requirements

Fri Jul 5 13:15:18 EDT 2024

Yes, all of those are examples of more sustainable low-impact practices that may run afoul of local regulations and/or HOA covenants.  Regulations intended to prevent bad practices (and also to be socioeconomically exclusionary) now stand in the way of good practices.

Mark Hamin PhD (he/him)
Principal Consultant, Sustainability Designer
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-hamin/
https://www.sustainabilitydesigner.com/<https://secure-web.cisco.com/1MLmvRFjWMJmQMr_yWrjBH8BklHd_NXr9vAlfagDgAbD-u3L7nPvAQK9a3KxpzBqsKxz5TD7mEF2up_kRfbuzebh_4Ivn9AgOj8C6AI6SBC1NFavPWgeTtHrsEicbF9TLxULXUzGQ2CP4wGPKVTHwfFNImxcULoxZn4U5Xxlwxk3lSSds2QDAk1exkU3EIhGYqT79tllAY-7qoeguUykzFnIEXZr1acaD1UIN6Aom_7T3FeioiQWq1n13bi8ojHIK094YPvBofLfz7abd7uWnBmuwhUZluC0SKzqCT_L6ZivpBHI9d64hjH8PQY3dgPsA2kPdLQ4vRamN57_J_j5_7wj8mzCymgzaMn00t5LX2vu9smI0quu4qHlKq5wYaXkQSvejmg2UxPZGkaOGWrCN1IjxehfhYq9Dxr6ntnDOeOw/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sustainabilitydesigner.com%2F>
413 387-9760

________________________________
From: Jeff Lacy <ruralplanningassociates at crocker.com>
Sent: Friday, July 5, 2024 1:01 PM
To: Mark Hamin <mhamin at larp.umass.edu>
Cc: Harry LaCortiglia <hlacortiglia at comcast.net>; rebecca at rbladesign.com <rebecca at rbladesign.com>; massplanners at masscptc.org <massplanners at masscptc.org>
Subject: Re: [Massplanners] mowing requirements

You don't often get email from ruralplanningassociates at crocker.com. Learn why this is important<https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification>
Cool discussion. Reminds me of past exchanges re: clotheslines, chickens, and home composting.
Jeff Lacy
Rural Planning Associates
(413) 230-9693

Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 5, 2024, at 12:48 PM, Mark Hamin via MassPlanners <massplanners at masscptc.org> wrote:

Agreed that this has been a valuable discussion of different judgments about the balance of interests between individual private property rights (especially when ecologically beneficial) and neighborhood concerns about potential negative impacts, which may have real validity. Respecting 'cues to care' and engaging in neighborhood conversation can be a good middle ground as well as an opportunity for a teachable moment.  I do not think that anyone here is an advocate for deputizing lawn enforcement to achieve lawn order... 😉

Mark Hamin PhD (he/him)
Principal Consultant, Sustainability Designer
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-hamin/
https://www.sustainabilitydesigner.com/<https://secure-web.cisco.com/1MLmvRFjWMJmQMr_yWrjBH8BklHd_NXr9vAlfagDgAbD-u3L7nPvAQK9a3KxpzBqsKxz5TD7mEF2up_kRfbuzebh_4Ivn9AgOj8C6AI6SBC1NFavPWgeTtHrsEicbF9TLxULXUzGQ2CP4wGPKVTHwfFNImxcULoxZn4U5Xxlwxk3lSSds2QDAk1exkU3EIhGYqT79tllAY-7qoeguUykzFnIEXZr1acaD1UIN6Aom_7T3FeioiQWq1n13bi8ojHIK094YPvBofLfz7abd7uWnBmuwhUZluC0SKzqCT_L6ZivpBHI9d64hjH8PQY3dgPsA2kPdLQ4vRamN57_J_j5_7wj8mzCymgzaMn00t5LX2vu9smI0quu4qHlKq5wYaXkQSvejmg2UxPZGkaOGWrCN1IjxehfhYq9Dxr6ntnDOeOw/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sustainabilitydesigner.com%2F>
413 387-9760

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From: MassPlanners <massplanners-bounces at masscptc.org> on behalf of Rebecca Bachand via MassPlanners <massplanners at masscptc.org>
Sent: Friday, July 5, 2024 11:53 AM
To: Harry LaCortiglia <hlacortiglia at comcast.net>
Cc: Rebecca Bachand <rebecca.bachand at rbladesign.com>; massplanners at masscptc.org <massplanners at masscptc.org>
Subject: Re: [Massplanners] mowing requirements

I love seeing so much interest from planners in more naturalized landscape approaches! You might all be interested in following Ben Vogt, whose efforts at growing and maintaining a prairie yard in a typical subdivision got him a lot of experience in addressing these concerns. He even has tips to avoid getting fined by the community/HOA: Monarch Gardens<https://www.monarchgard.com/thedeepmiddle/simple-ways-to-avoid-fines>

"Cues to Care" are integral to the acceptance of these efforts, and as noted by others can be hard to define.

Research from UMASS by Susannah Lerman and her team indicates mowing every two weeks is ideal for maintaining lawns at a "respectable" (to your neighbors) level while allowing growth of plants supporting birds, bees, and other insects. Unfortunately, the links to her easy to share graphics, etc seem to be broken, but maybe a hunt through her publications will offer good info:: Susannah B. Lerman, Research Ecologist, USDA.gov<https://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/sblerman#products-tab>

An article from PENN cites Minnesota Extension/UMN Bee Labs<https://www.pennlive.com/life/2022/08/bee-lawns-a-lazy-mower-way-to-help-pollinators.html>' 4-inch mowing height recommendation, but when I mow our lawn to 3" my husband doesn't think I've cut it at all!
(The struggle is real, even for Landscape Architects!)

Rebecca Bachand, RLA, LEED AP®, ASLA

781-686-4486

[https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/mail-sig/AIorK4yGWQJU32Uvfu9yiMH5LRO31somW6TDPbIdSDmsL_hfG-rPw7wcxf9XIOcqPZfmf6eAKMQtRLM]

RBLA Design LLC

rebecca at rbladesign.com<mailto:rebecca at rbladesign.com>

rbladesign.com<http://rbladesign.com/>

Massachusetts WBE Certified

DBE Certified in Massachusetts, Rhode Island & New Hampshire

Member of CREW Boston

On Thu, Jul 4, 2024 at 7:51 AM Harry LaCortiglia via MassPlanners <massplanners at masscptc.org<mailto:massplanners at masscptc.org>> wrote:

I would certainly hope that no government entity would infringe upon my right to grow the grass on my very own property, as tall as I need it to be, prior to my harvesting it for personal use.

I cultivate my grass to a certain length to be as effective as possible in my garden bed as my primary mulch, thus preventing evaporation as much as possible. (So many communities are under to water conservation restrictions these days!)

Although I guess I could bring my home grown vegetables to the ZBA Hearing when I ask for relief of any grass height zoning limitation.

Does anyone have a Grass Height Setback Variance application I could use?

Have a great day celebrating the Independence of our nation and our inalienable right to sarcasm!

H. LaCortiglia
Georgetown P.B.

On 7/3/2024 3:40 PM, Jeff Lacy via MassPlanners wrote:
Are we talking about private property? A homeowner’s little patch of the earth? I can’t see any legitimate role for government here, especially if the only complaint is appearance.
Jeff Lacy
Rural Planning Associates
(413) 230-9693

Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 3, 2024, at 3:18 PM, Nate Card via MassPlanners <massplanners at masscptc.org><mailto:massplanners at masscptc.org> wrote:

I don't know what it would look like, nor of any precedents (as far as regulations go) but I suspect you could establish an approved ratio of mowed to un-mowed lawn, essentially requiring some degree of cues-to-care, like mowed borders or pathways. Or perhaps waivers to the current regulations could be issued for households submitting a plan for some level of lawn conversion, to promote long-term pollinator support.

Nathanael Card
M.S. Ecological Design, 2024
The Conway School, Northampton, MA
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