[HISTORY: Adopted by the Special Town Meeting of the Town
of Wayland 10-3-2021 by Art. 1. Amendments noted where applicable.]
The use of synthetic/artificial turf on athletic playing fields
entails myriad public health and safety, environmental, and climate
concerns. Wayland must carefully evaluate whether such use, even where
privately funded, is consonant with Wayland's athletic needs, the
health and safety of its children, residents in general, and the environment,
and the Climate Emergency Resolution adopted by Town Meeting in May
2021. This moratorium allows the Town the opportunity (a) to examine
the extent to which synthetic/artificial turf is injurious to public
health and safety, the environment and the climate compared to natural
grass solutions, and (b) to determine if natural grass solutions based
on the use of the latest techniques for grass field construction and
organic maintenance create viable alternatives for Wayland. "Synthetic/artificial
turf" means any of various artificial, synthetic or partially synthetic
carpet-like materials made to resemble grass, including the infill
and liners, used as a surface for athletics, sports or other recreational
activities. The Town of Wayland shall neither install nor authorize
or allow the installation of synthetic/artificial turf on any real
estate owned by the Town, for a period of three years from the effective
date of this moratorium. This restriction shall not apply to the use
or maintenance of the synthetic/artificial turf field at Wayland High
School installed prior to the adoption of this bylaw amendment.
