Global SYN Turf....I have been to San Diego many times...have relatives there...and maybe I haven't been in the neighborhoods where you have installed fake grass because I have never seen it in any neighborhood that I have been in. What I see is people choosing smaller yards or more concrete. It might be nice to have artificial turf if you want a small putting green in your yard. However, I grew up with sheep, a goat, rabbit, parrots, several dogs, chickens in a chicken pen, and now I have a cat. And we kept the sheep and goats in a separate yard than the lawn and the chickens had their own enclosed area. But there has never been a problem with having real grass and having dogs and cats. My cat needs to eat grass for his digestion and thats also how cats clean their teeth. My dogs were trained to go to the bathroom in one corner in the garden area so the lawn wasn't dirty. Maybe some places need to restrict water use but not all people everywhere need too. And how are you saving water if you have to cool down the fake turf on hot days using cold water? And when the turf wears out it goes to the garbage dump. Grass is natural and won't harm the planet by ending up in the garbage dump. And does raking the leaves off the lawns or using the lawn mower to pick up the leaves damage the turf? Because I refuse to live in a neighborhood where I have to wake up hearing people using their blowers to get rid of the leaves from the trees...and possibly blow their leaves into my yard. Some kinds of fake turf are nice to look at...but if you want to play and lay on it it's not like the real thing.

I would probably transplant the clump of ornamental grass. It is too tall for its location and consuming the more attractive ornamental tree. I, too, advise increasing the size of the planting bed beside your driveway, adding curves that will permit you to plant appropriate perennials as well as annuals as the season permits. The grass is a nice plant in the wrong place, I think. It will look better in a less obvious spot in your yard.

What is creating the shade..is it a tree that brings something to the surrounding soil that does not agree with the grass....for example oak trees create an acidic soil unfriendly to grasses..or maybe not enough sun..consider a different ground cover type plant for that area or shade plants if sun is sparse...many trees do not like as much water as grass requires...perhaps just mulch the area and put a nice bench around the tree

Yes, it looks like heavy clay soil. Try amending the soil so grass will grow there. I don't think it has anything do to with the snow deposits, I think you graded in crappy soil and now nothing will grow. Another solution, install a raised bed for vegetables or flowers