Facilities Management replaced the weed infested crab grass lawn in front of emblematic Sacramento Hall last week.

“The facilities plan was to replace the grass because it tends to turn brown in the winter,” said Associate Vice President of Facilities Management Matthew Altier.

With the responsibility of constant upkeep of the campus, Altier said that the grass in front of Sacramento Hall was one of the top priorities for campus beautification.

Campus beautification is the chief theme of Facilities Management which has included the erection of trellises in multiple locations, offering students outdoor seating areas instead of grass stains on the jeans.

The top priority is to pave mud paths that have formed as a result of the campus community cutting across grassy area around campus. Altier said that he awaits the funding for this task, but it may take a couple of years.

The option of herbicide to nullify the existing threat of weeds, or crab grass, was considered.

“I observed that 80-85 percent of the grass was infested with crab grass and it would be more cost-effective to replace the entire area,” said Director of Custodial & Grounds Services Mario Ruiz.

Ruiz said the cold season hinders seed from growing fast, dismissing the potential for fertilizers with crab grass preventer.

“We must continue to improve the campus or things will remain stagnant,” said Ruiz.

Not everyone shares the vision of Altier and Ruiz about the effectiveness of this beautification project.

“I walked by there three times a day and I don’t see a difference,” said Kinesiology major Candy Stevenson.

The area is approximately 51′ by 70′, calling for roughly 3,570 square feet of sod.

Ruiz said that the project costs were $800, a figure over two times less than the use of herbicide.

Neither Altier nor Ruiz said where the sod was obtained.

“It’s the front door of the campus. It just can’t look bad,” said Ruiz.The decision to replace the grass instead of chemical treatment is more viable since the grass in front of Sacramento Hall is not considered a high traffic area.

“We still have to treat it (grass) because broad leaf and crab grass can still come back,” said Ruiz.

With a high chance of returning crab grass, the beautification may result in a reoccurring epidemic of weed-infested grass in front of Sacramento Hall.

With many portions of questionable grass scattered around campus, this area is of grand importance to the image of Sac State.