A Well Aware Case Study
Conversion of Lawn to Rain Gardens and Communal Space
The Martin Farms HOA in Petaluma took on the challenge to convert their irrigated lawn into a community rain garden, significantly reducing its water demand. The Martin Farms HOA community is built around the Martin Farmhouse, a 120-year-old farmhouse on the United States National Register of Historic Places and a Heritage Home of Petaluma. Developers built out 16 additional homes between 2008 and 2011 to create the Martin Farms HOA community.
Martin Farms HOA in 2024 and in 2026 after converting the lawn
The Martin Farmhouse had about 3,500 square feet of lawn that was rarely used by residents. Eileen Abajian, the Secretary of the HOA, wanted to help transform the landscape into a more sustainable and functional space. In pursuit of this goal, Abajian signed up as a block captain for Cool Petaluma, a local program dedicated to addressing the effects of climate change by gathering neighborhood teams to lead collaborative projects. This role brought her in contact with local non-profit organization, Daily Acts, which supports drought resilience projects, such as turf conversion and rain garden installations. Abajian partnered with Daily Acts to begin designing a new landscape to replace the lawn, which had been using up to 19,340 gallons of water a month.
Since the lawn area was not regularly used or watered with the drought, the area was in rough shape with dead spots and hard packed adobe soil. Daily Acts worked with Abajian and The Water Folk, a local landscape architecture firm, to ensure the design captured the priorities of all the residents, which included a gathering space for the annual fireworks, an immersive walkway through the rain garden, a social path for people experiencing homelessness to cross safely without affecting the landscape, and pollinator plants to encourage greater ecological benefits.
Converting the lawn took five days in late 2024 – turf was removed, sheet mulch was laid, and new climate-appropriate plants were planted. The rain garden flourished within a year of installation and reduced water demand by 70%. The conversion has improved soil health, leading to better recharge of water to the groundwater basin.
Lower Maintenance, Better Aesthetics and Added Community Building
Abajian commented that maintenance has become much easier, with no mowing and less leaf blowing, reducing nuisance noise and resulting in dramatic water savings.
Residents have begun a monthly “Weed and Wine” Day, where they gather for routine weeding and maintenance around the garden while enjoying refreshments. The conversion has aesthetically improved the property and provided a visual break from busy East Washington Street.
Advice and Resources
While much of the project cost was covered by grants managed through Daily Acts and their Land Resilience Partnership Program (dailyacts.org/lrp), there were still
some costs that needed to be covered by the HOA. Many residents would not welcome any increases in fees, so Abajian had to be creative to help figure out where the funds could come from. Ultimately, the HOA’s reserve budget was tapped to fund the project at no additional cost to the residents and over time the energy and water savings and lower maintenance requirements will lead to cost savings for the residents. Abajian recommended that others in similar situations contact her to discuss how she navigated this process with her HOA management company. Abajian emphasizes that projects like this are important to exemplify that you can make a difference where you are.
The HOA also took advantage of the City of Petaluma’s Mulch Madness program (cityofpetaluma.org/mulch-madness) to cover the cost of the mulching materials. The program provides free sheet mulching materials (compost, cardboard, and mulch) and delivery of materials to support conversion to drought-tolerant mulched landscape.
The Sonoma County Groundwater Sustainability Agencies’ website, wellawaretoolkit.org provides links to a number of other local resources including landscape design templates, access to Qualified Water Efficient Landscape (QWEL) professionals, planning and technical assistance, and maintenance manuals. Abajian added that the Santa Rosa Tool Library (borrowtools.org) has been a great resource, allowing the HOA to mulch other parts of the community without needing to invest in a set of tools.
Complying with Regulations
Beyond the dramatic water savings, the turf conversion positions the HOA ahead of the curve in complying with California Assembly Bill 1572 (AB 1572), which prohibits the use of potable water to irrigate nonfunctional turf that serves no recreational or community purpose. By January 1, 2029, all HOAs in California will be required to stop irrigating nonfunctional turf in their common areas with potable water. Resources for converting lawns to drought-tolerant landscaping, finding funding for projects, and understanding compliance timelines can be found through the California Water Efficiency Partnership’s (CalWEP) Nonfunctional Turf toolkit (nonfunctionalturfca.org). This proactive approach ensures long-term regulatory alignment while demonstrating environmental leadership.