In the media

Some tout it as a quick and easy way to improve neighborhoods rife with
foreclosures, while others see it as false advertising.

Either way, painting dead lawns green is a growing local business.

“It seems to be catching on all over,” said Brian Cullingworth, who’s
preparing to launch PaintLawn.com in the Victor Valley.

The non-toxic vegetable dyes have been used for years at golf courses and
sports arenas, or to keep residential lawns green through the winter and
treat spots that have become targets of neighborhood dogs.

But when the foreclosure epidemic erupted, lawn painters found themselves
staring at a whole new market.

Cullingworth’s company painted lawns Monday for the city of Rancho
Cucamonga. Along with the City of Perris, Rancho Cucamonga is actually
paying to have lawns dyed to fight blight, with the cities recovering the
cost during escrow.

Cullingworth said demand is so high he’s actually looking to hire local
applicators.

Jim Hart, city manager for Adelanto, said his code enforcement crews have
painted some lawns themselves in recent months.

Adelanto and Hesperia allow the dye to temporarily stop fines for
bank-owned vacant homes, while Apple Valley doesn’t currently cite
property owners for dead lawns.

In Victorville, where a municipal code added in 2006 requires homeowners
to either keep lawn in good shape or tear it out, bank-owned homes may
carry liens if code enforcement has cited the property for brown grass.