A tale of two turfs: Bay Area residents split over using artificial grass

Summer may be over, but there’s a hot debate brewing that’s becoming more intense and thought provoking by the day, and it’s all about — grass?

Yes, grass. As school districts look to resurface their athletic fields and cities consider how to update public parks, local leaders must decide what kind of play surface to install. And, the two options — natural grass or artificial turf — are sharply dividing Bay Area residents.

Turf, which is made from thousands of synthetic fibers and crumb plastic infills...