Painting Grass Cheaper Than Watering for Perris Foreclosures
The grass is always greener on the painted side
Thursday, Jan 7, 2010 | Updated 2:44 PM PST
Why water a lawn when you can just paint it green?
In the Inland Empire city of Perris, which has been hard hit by foreclosures, elected officials hired a contractor to paint brown lawns green, it was reported Saturday.
The Perris City Council considered watering neglected lawns at some 1,100 foreclosed properties, but it proved too costly, the Los Angeles Times reported.
"We saw what was happening, so we put our heads together to try to come up with a solution to help reduce the impact of these foreclosures," Perris Mayor Pro Tem Mark Yarbrough told The Times.
In Riverside County, where foreclosures have spread like falling dominoes, disguising dead grass with green paint suddenly seems reasonable, The Times reported. Unfinished housing tracts and vacant homes are present in many communities.
David Milligan of Insta-Green estimated he's painted about 20 lawns, charging $400 to $700 each. After the right shade is selected, paint is sprayed on dead grass and dirt, giving the illusion of a healthy lawn for three to four months, The Times reported.
Milligan told The Times he envisions his lawn-painting enterprise outlasting the foreclosure crisis.
"I see an evolution in this business," Milligan said."The foreclosures will end, but the water shortage won't. It's only a matter of time until people get sick of watering their lawns and ask me to paint them."
Perris City Councilman and local real estate agent Al Landers told The Times he's seen a change in neighborhoods once the lawns are painted. Some people take better care of their own property, he said.
"I think it helps heal the neighborhood and makes people proud to live in Perris," Landers said. "It renews community spirit."
