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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 5.1 Dog Park Request CITY CLERK File # 0920-20 AGENDA STATEMENT CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: August 1, 2000 SUBJECT: WRITTEN COMMUNICATION: Request for a Dog Park Report by Diane LOwart, Parks & Community Services Director ATTACHMENTS: 1. Correspondence From Rose Rose 2. Petitions RECOMMENDATION: 1. Receive Staff Presentation /"l,t, r0(-' 2. Receive P3~sentation From Rose Rose' 3. Consider Request FINANCIAL STATEMENT: Estimated'cost to modify Alamo Creek Park z $24,200 DESCRIPTION: Correspondence has been received from Dublin resident Rose Rose requesting City Council consideration of installing a off-leash dog park at Alamo' Creek Park. Additionally, MS. Rose has obtained 267 signatures in support of the dog park (approximately 177 or 66% are Dublin residents). As explained in the letter, the purpose of the dog park is as follows: · To establish an off-leash' fenced area for canines to play, and exercise, in a clean, secure, owner-supervised environment without endangering or annoying people or property. · To create a positive social experience for Dublin dog owners and neighboring communities. · To set a good example in terms of upholding rules and regulations such as cleaning up after the dog and encouraging good behavior of our canine friends. · To view this park as a community project in partnership with the CitY of Dublin, intended to satisfy dog owners and non-dog owners alike. BACKGROUND At the June .1, 1999 meeting of the Dublin City Coupcil, Dublin resident Rose Rose addressed the Council regarding the need for a dog park in Dublin. The City Council referred the matter to the Parks and Community Services Commission. The Parks & Community Services Commission first considered this request on July 19, 1999. Although the Commission found the idea of' a dog park interesting, they did not feel that there was adequate support at the time to warrant further consideration. The Commission encouraged Ms. Rose to gather additional support to substantiate the need for a dog park and to identify potential locations for a dog park. On June 19, 2000, Ms. Rose again addressed the Parks & Community Services Commission and presented the Commission ~vith petitions in support of the concept of a dog park. Additionally, Ms. Rose presented the Commission with photographs of a successful dog park in Palo Alto and photographs of Alamo Creek COPIES TO: Rose Rose/Parks & Community Services Commission ITEM NO. ~ F:\CITYCOUN\CCMTGS\CC 8-1 Dog Park Request.doc Park in Dublin, a potential location for a dog park identified by Ms. Rose. On a unanimous vote of the Commission, the Commission supported the request for a dog park and directed Staff to forward the request to the City Council. PROPOSED DOG PARK The City currently does not have an area in a park where dogs can be off leash. (Dublin Municipal Code Chapter 5.100 prohibits dogs in City parks unless the dog is under complete control of its owner or custodian at all times and led by a leash of suitable strength no more than six feet in length.) There are number o f cities throughout the bay area, including Livermore and Pleasanton who have areas in a park set aside specifically for dogs off leash. There is even a web site called Dogpark.com that is an on- line magazine for off-leash dogs and their owners. In an article from Dogpark.com on "How to Start a Dogpark", it states that the ideal dog park should be ' e one acre or more surrounded by a 4' to 6 f~ nce. Additionally, the dog park should include: · Entry- double gated · Shade and water . · Adequate. drainage · Parking close to site · Grass area; routine mowing · Covered garbage cans with regular trash removal · Pooper-scooper stations · Benches · Wheel chair access · Safe location, not isolated · Regular maintenance Regarding the location for a dog park, Ms. Rose has identified Alamo Creek Park on Dougherty Road between Willow Creek Drive and Wildwood Road as a potential site for the dog park. The area of the park proposed for the dog park is fenced on two sides and is approximately 1.5 acres in size. In order to utilize this area for a dog park, Ms. Rose suggests fencing the entire area and making a staging area for dogs on either end. Additionally, drinking water, garbage cans, benches and "dog waste clean-up tools" are necessary. The estimated cost to modify this area for use as a dog park is $24,200. Staff would point out that this area of Alamo Creek Park gets little use by the public as it is separated by the remainder of the park by the creek. RECOMMENDATION If the City Council is in support of pursuing Alamo Creek Park for use as an off-leash dog park, a budget transfer will be necessary, as funds are not budgeted in the Fiscal Year 2000-2001 Budget for this purpose. Before this is done, however, Staff recommends that the matter be referred back to the Parks & Community Services Commission in order .to conduct a public meeting on the project with the surrounding neighborhood. If the neighborhood is supportive of the off-leash dog park, a budget change will be brought before the City Council for consideration at a future meeting. Additionally, it will be necessary to amend Dublin Municipal Code Chapter 5.100 in order to allow dogs off-leash in designated areas of parks. These changes will also be brought before the City Council at a future meeting. June 9,2000 Rose Rose 10738 Inspiration Circle Dublin, CA. 94568 (925) 833-8292 rsquared~home.com Dublin City Council P.O. Box 2340 Dublin, CA. 94568 Dear Mr. Mayor and Council Members: Last summer, I requested that Dublin have a fenced in, off- leash dog park and I was asked by the commission to obtain signatures of interested residents, particularly of Dublin, and to get i.nformation on how to start a dog park. I have obtained signatures and I am still in process of, I've taken photos of an existing dog park in the city of Palo Alto, and took pictures of the potential dog park site in Eastern Dublin. I will outline below some of the things needed to complete this project, and if I am invited to present this proposal at one of your meetings, I will display the photos. PURPOSE OF PROJECT: To establish an off leash fenced area for canine citizens to play, and exercise, in a clean, secure, owner-supervised environment without endangering or annoying people or property. To create a positive social experience for Dublin dogowners and neighboring communities. To set a good example in terms of upholding rules and regulations such as cleaning up after the dog and encouraging good behavior of our canine friends. To view this park as a community project in partnership with the city o~Dublin, intended to satisfy dogowners and non-dog owners alike. POTENTIAL SITE: Alamo Creek Park in Eastern Dublin, bordering Dougherty Rd., Willow Creek Rd., and Wildwood Rd. FENCE: Already exsists, but three areas of it need to be completed and there needs to be two "staging" areas at both ends of the dog park in which to leash and unleash the dog and as a place to slowly aquaint one's self with "dogs that want to greet a new dog at the entrances." It is also so that dogs can't escape. (typical at all dog parks) See photo. Also, a gate wide enough for lawn mowers etc.. COST: Unknown. WATER: ATTACHMENT 1' Water must already exsist to water the lawn but a pipe and spout or water faucet low to the ground is needed to fill a large plastic or other materiel water bowl so dogs can have much-needed .water. COST: unknown. Water bucket can be donated however. See photo. DOG WASTE CLEAN-UP TOOLS: Most parks simply have tools called poop scoopers. They look like a light shovel. We need 4 (four) for this park. COST: Approx. $25.00 each. Can be donated. The existing dog bags provided by the park which are currently standing are nice but not needed if the post and sign and dog bags are expensive. Most dog owners carry their own plastic bags such as newspaper bags to the park but some prefer the scooper. See photo. GARBAGE: Lined and covered garbage cans are needed to toss dog waste. We need 4, (four) placed near the scoopers. They need to be sturdy as to not blow over in strong wind. COST: unknown. Maybe they can be donated. BENCHES: We need 4 (four) benches for owners to sit on. Two should be placed slightly away from either entrance and two should be placed in the center of park. The reason for this is that dogs are pack animals and tend to congregate and play near people. If the benches are too close to the entrances, the condos and apartments might hear barking more than if the benches are placed toward the center. COST: unknown. See photo. NOISE/BARKING: Generally, dogs play a lot and bark a little. People usually $}ay, on average, 30 min. at a dog park, so they come and go. There is lots of traffic on Doughtery Rd. so this may drown out some noise. Hours of dog park use should be made so that dogs do not disturb neighbors, but what usually works is: open 8:00am until sundown. Peak days and hours tend to be Saturday and Sunday morning between 10:00am- 12:00pm (when it starts to get warm and dogs are more sluggish.) and again from 4:00pm to 8:00pm in summer, and until 6:00 pm in winter. Weekdays are slower, but peak hours are usually 4:00pm-sundown. TRAFFIC AND PARKING: There are about 22 parking spaces, 2 handicapped spaces and room in the "legal" area of the street for about 6 cars in the area. Dog owners would have to walk their dogs to the dog park ON LEASH. Since people tend to come and go quickly and some are local residents who would walk their dogs from home, traffic is not an issue. In my experience at any dog park I've been to, there seems to be no more than 7 cars there at one time during peak hours. SIGNS: There needs to be 2 (two) signs at both entrances with hours, and rules, and a sign with a tempored glass case with a lock for announcements and notices. (such as, "park will be closed due to maintenance on such and such a date...."). See photo. MAINTENANCE: Lawn maintenance. (Exists.) Thank you for your attention. I would be happy to be a consultant with this project or help in any way I can. I have lived in Dublin for almost two years and I am proud to be a resident of this progressive city. I would like it to rank high on the list as a desirable place to live. Dog parks are popping up in neighboring cities and I think having one in Dublin would compliment the existing and future community services. I am obtaining more signatures at this time and I hope it will be enough to show an interest in a Dublin Dog Park! For further reference, look up dogpark.com. I also have an article on dog parks 15om a magazine called "Bark." Thank You. Sincerely, Rose A. Rose 46 just don't call it a dog IN THE LAST BARK WE TOOK YOU ON A whistlestop tour of dog park campaigning. We hope that you found some of the information helpful and that you are now ready to sit down vdth town planners and design that perfect dog park. Let's start by suggesting a different term for dog park. V4e lmbw it's an easy term to use, but it often evokes irate comments like: "What do you mean you want to spend my tzxes on a bunch of dogs?"; "What about safe playground equipment for my -kids?"; "Drinking fountains for dogs, you gotta be kidding!" Play it safe, try using terms like "off-leash" or "mnld-use area;' stressing the human component at all times. The acronym-clever COLA pebple (Citizens for Off-Leash Areas) in Seattle simply call theirs OLAs (a convention we'll adopt here). In Berkeley, "multi-use area" refers to the multiple legitimate uses, including our leashless dogs, that ire allow- able in secdons of the park. In Indianapolis they refer to their recendy inaugurated area as a Canine Companion Zone. In doing the research for this article and in talking with many of you who have con- tacted us for more information or to share your wisdom and experience, we realize that this material cannot be easily con- densed into just two parts. So we will be turning this into a regular feature, with future reports including case studies from your parks. A recap from last time: because most cities have leash laws that outlaw dogs running "at large," you'll need to change this policy. k3 <" ~-)? "For every complex, difficult problem, there .... :..:?77'is.,a simple, ea -.....j,-r ,-., ,', .' .r.., , . · .,....;i.:i'~Tii'!.C::..':.".:"2'.:,:fnd it is wr~~ ' 2.),?.¥'::.7 "',.:::':" ..':'.. l',. M. enck n'.:: ". By Claudia Kav,'czynska one city, but in a dense urban area like NewYork it could be positively palatine. It is beyond the scope of this space to write about macro-level planning issues or site analyses--we all know that a city should provide a series of neighborhood parks kccessible to the daily needs for all its citizens, including those with dogs, with .major municipal or regional parks available for special jaunts. In the ideal world, dogs would be welcomed to share the total park experience with us~ as they do in Australia, and not only be limited to permitted sectors'.Taking these limitations into consideration, we'll concentrate on som~,, guidelines for a prototypieal ofF- leash park, if only in the abstract. Operational topics, such as sponsoring groups, user-permits and maintenance issues will be discussed in the next issue. Size If your OLA is located on a new site or built within an established park, size is the single most important and probably the most contentious criterion to be decided. Let it be suggested as a rule of thumb that the bigger the better. An off-leash area is sindlar to a computer: the day you buy one is the day it becomes outdated. With a smaller area (especially if it is the only facility servicing a ~vide area), you will quickly find that supply can't match demand. Indianapolis experienced this when permits to their first Canine Companion Zone were sold out almost the day of the opening. They are now looking to open a second, larger canine zone in another park. But few policymakers or administrators are risk-takers; they'll ne~d reassurances that they are not the first to be confronted by a citizenry asking to use public land to recreate with a pack of off-leash do~.This is to be followed by gentle and constant reminders that your request isn't coming out of left field and you have the numbers to support your proposal (with signed petitions in hand), that you do pay taxes supporting everyone else's recreational activity and, lastly, that you regularly con- sult with your dogs before voting. ]3y doing most of your homework online you can find many excellent examples of suc- cessgd programs (see resources) to bring to your town's decision-makers. Now that you have piqued their interest, the next step is to lead them to the drawing table with design guidelines and planning criteria. Guidelines can help move the process along but keep in mind that, as Mencken noted: "For every complex, diflScult prob- lem, there is a simple, easy solution ... and it is wrong." One of the first things we learned in gathering this information is that while it is tempting to use guidelines from other cities or even from other parks within the same city, they should be used judicially and only as outlines to help shape the planning process and not as across-the-board standards. As Judy Green, a veteran of off-leash planning in Virginia, cautioned, "it is important to remain as flexible as possible," leaving room for "fine-tuning afterwards." Site-specific and community-specific needs must be addressed. A fifty-acre area within a five- hundred acre park might be too small for Some suggest that the auxiliary (i.e., neighborhood) off-leash parks be a mini- mum of three to five acres. Even though ~ve agree with the. larger end of this range, in many urban areas this is probably unat- tainable. For smaller parks or for the ones that can't be easily "divided" into specific usage zones, a "time share" arrangement might be possible, with the park available to dog use in the early mornings and early evening hours. If this as your only option, as it is for many New Yorkers, try ro obtain a liberal frame of permitted dines (perhaps before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m.), factoring in seasonal day length changes. The town of Petaluma, north of San Francisco, reports very successful results with a time-share program that is opera- dona2 in ail of its parks. We disagree with policy papers that suggest that OLAs be restricted to a maximum of five acres. The rationale behind this limit is that a larger area would make monitoring more clif~cult. But there is abundant and convincing long-term evidence to amelio- rate these concerns, coming from larger dog-friendly parks such as Pt. Isabel in Richmond, California (with nearly a mil- lion visits a year), Fort Funston in San Francisco, Marymoor Park in Il. edmond, Washington, Shaw-nee Mission Park in Johnson County, Kansas, and others. Ideally, OLAs should be large enough not only to accommodate human-with-dog recreational activities, like walking arid jogging, but also to provide enough .space ,vhere some of us can spend private dine away from the fetch-and-chase set. Also, the larger the park the less likely that its resources, such as turf, will suffer from over U S e. Fencing Another bone of possible contenuon is fencing. In parks close to traffic, fencing-- with consideration for aesthetic concerns might be necessary. In these cases, double entry, self-closing gates are recommended. Unless your dogs are into high hurtling, a four-foot fence should be adequate. Chain- link (vinyl-coated) fencing is probably the least expensive but some parks, as m Sacramento and Dupont Circle in DC, are looking into other alternatives like wrought iron (beware of the pointy pick- ets). Arlington Dogs'Judy Green adds that fencing must extend to the ground and that if using chain-link, the bottom must be crimped to avoid injuries to the dogs. In larger multi-use parks, especially in areas away from traffic which have terrain features that provide natural demarcations and barriers away from other park uses, fencing might not be necessary. There are often serious disagreements over fencing. It can be the single most expensive item in the construction of OLAs, so securing the funding can hamper the-progress of projects, especially if communSdes balk about paying for it. Sometimes dog peo- ple are asked to contribute to this expense. Putting aside the fairness ques- tion are tenms players asked to pay for the fences on public courts'?---some of you have turned into amazingly effective fund-raisers, getting financial assistance from local businesses. Pet stores and pet food companies should be eager to con- tribute and perhaps even sponsor your park. In some cases, fencing can also help al/ay fears of liability. Children Even though allowing children into OLAs ~s more of an operational than a design issue, is ir usually during the desigm stage that this issue is addressed. Again bringing up the specter of liability issues, some communities have opted for not allowing children, even those accompanied by an adult, into their OLAs. We think tkis is unfortunate. It can add fuel to the children versus dog debate, and Judy Green thinks that it "doesn't serve the dog commurdty to perpetuate tkis idea that dogs are always to be feared." Children should obviously be closely supervised in parks from all recreational activities, such as bicycling, inline skating, kite flying, as well as from dogs. Also, many fami- lies w/th dogs can_not afford the luxury of providing quality park time 'to their dogs, separate fi-om the time they can spend with their children. Most parks do alloxv children but some take the precaudc;n of noting on their signage that ckildren under a certain age must be accompan/ed by an aduk. Personally, we love seeing young parents with those new sports-model baby strollers wheeling their charges on the paths of the off-leash area with their dogs merrily running alongside. This goes to the essence of what these areas are all about--having a good dine in our parks with those ~ve love. Other design considerations: · Available parking that w/Il not interfere with or disturb neighbors · Compliance with American Disabilities Act requirements---service dogs and their companions should be urged to use OLAs · Buffer Zones from neighbors who might be concerned about barking · Conveniendy-sited, covered trash receptacles and poop disposal product dispensers · Bulletin boards for posting notices, raising public awareness, announcing training classes, etc. · Shade trees, good drainage, maintain- able tuff · 'Water fountains with both human and dog-level spigots · Clear, concise and aesthetically pleasing signage · Benches, tables, agility equipment, swamming ponds Call 510.704.0527 ~vith your questions or comments. ® RESOURCES Websites www. ur-n ~t.com/aadogs/ www. dog-play.c orn/dogpa rk wvwv. dogpark.org www. freeplay, org V,~Nw. sfdog.or§ www. offleash.corn VWaN. soda.org www.inch.com/~d ogs/runs.htrnl vw,~v, nyc dog.or§ www. do§beach.org www. geocities, com,'Heartland/3961/Innopet, htrnI www.silcom.com/~dogpa csb/ va, wv.fid o c a rolin a.o r§ vvww.rnna rin-h urea ne.org/htmt/d o g pa rk. htrnl www. sfspc a.org/Advoca cy.htrnl#dogp www. indyhurna ne.c orn/services.htrn [istserv www.fre e pla y. org/p h plib/fplist, p htrnl Papers and booklets "Dog Parks and Their Benefits," Humane Society of the United States, tel: 202.452.1100 "Planning Parks for Pets," National Recreation and Park Association, $t7.50, tel: 703.858.2190 47 DOG PARK IN DUBLIN We, the residents of Dublin and surrounding con~munities, are in favor of a Dog Park or off- leash fenced area in the City of Dublin: Name Address , ~~ , ..~ ATTACHMENT 2 DOG PARK IN DUBLIN We, the residents of Dublin and surrounding communities, are in favor of a Dog Park or off- leash fenced area in the City of Dublin: Name Address DOG PARK IN DUBLIN We,-the residents of Dublin and surrounding communities, are in favor of a Dog Park or off- leash fenced area in the City of Dublin: 13. Address 15. DOG PARK IN DUBLIN We, the residents of Dublin and surrounding communities, are in favor of a Dog Park or off- leash fenced area in the City of Dublin: Name . Address (Sign6ture~, ~please ~)~ . DOG PARK IN DUBLIN We, the residents of Dublin and surrounding communities, are in favor of a Dog Park or off- leash fenced area in the City of Dublin: Address /~_~ ~--xTz ,x&,,~,-, /..bE. C DOG PARK IN DUBLIN We, the residents of Dublin andsurroUnding communities, are in favor of a Dog Park or off- leash fenced area in the City of Dublin: Address 14. 15. DOG PARK IN DUBLIN We, the residents of Dublin and surrounding communities, are in favor of a Dog Park or off- leash fenced area in the City of Dublin: Name Address DOG PARK IN DUBLIN We, the residents of Dublin and surrounding communities, are in favor of a Dog Park or off- leash fenced area in the City of Dublin: Address 9. DOG PARK IN DUBLIN We, the residents of Dublin and surrounding communities, are in favor of a Dog Park or off- leash fenced area in the City of Dublin: 14. 15. DOG PARK IN DUBLIN We, the residents of Dublin and surrounding con%munities, are in favor of a Dog Park or off- leash fenced area in the City of Dublin: 2. 3. 4. 5. .6 · 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. . ~.~¢ ame ~ Address (~/3.nat}ur~/~Pl~ase- ) n , We, the residents of DUBLIN, are hn favOr of a dog park or off-leash fenced area in the City of Dublin: Sig-nature Address 7: "' 11. 13. 14. 15. 16. DOG PARK IN' DUBLIN We, the residents of DUBLIN, are in favor of a dog park or off-leash fenced area in the City of Dublin: Signature Address ~,,,, , , ., ,.b~ ,/ , . ~.~.. I0. II. 12. 13. 14. !5. DOG PARK IN DUBLIN We, the residents of Dublin~ -_.~-~. _~-_-~-_~_- are in favor of a Dog Park or off- leash fen~ed area in the City of Dublin: ne~ /' (SignatuYs', please .~ · ~ ,/_ .t_/-_....---~, ~.- - 2 Address 1t. 12. 13. 14. 15. DOG PARK IN DUBLIN We, the residents of DUBLIN, are in favor of a dog park or off-leash fenced area in the City of Dublin: 2. 3. 4. 5. . e ,b ~:, '%... DOG PARK IN DUBLIN We, the residents of DUBLIN, are in favor of a dog park or off-leash fenced area in the City of Dublin: Signature Address 11. 12, 13. 14. 15. 16. DOG PARK IN DUBLIN We, the residents of DUBLIN, are in favor of a dog park or off-leash fenced area in the City of Dublin: Signatttre Address 11. DOG PARK IN DUBLIN We, the residents of Dublin and surrounding conlmunities, are in favor of a Dog Park or off- leash fenced area in the City of Dublin: Address '-~'-~ //:'¥,'. / ""~ o o 9 o !0. 1i. 12. 13. 14. 15. DOG PARK IN DUBLIN We, the leash fenced residents of Dublin ~ are in favor of a Dog Park or off- area in the City of Dublin: ,:~ Address DOG PARK IN DUBLIN We, the residents of Dublin ~ ~ are in favor of a Dog Park or off- leash fenced area in the City of Dublin: 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. DOG PARK IN DUBLIN We, the residents of Dublin ~ ~ ~~, are in favor of a Dog Park or off- leash fenced area in the City of Dublin: o o il. 12. 13. 14. 15. DOG PARK IN DUBLIN We, the residents of Dublin and surrounding communities, are in favor of a Dog Park or off- leash fenced area in the City of Dublin: Address o 6. 7. 8. I0. !i. 12. 13.'.- DOG PARK IN DUBLIN We, the residents o bli~ ~~i~w~%~, are in favor~o~f~a Dog Park or off- leas~ fenced area in the City of Dublin: Name Ad~res's (Sigant_ur~, Pl~e ' ~ ~ ,.,, ~ L~'.~ - : d ~ 'x~-'~. " . ~./"" /1(' ~ ,,.~. ,. ~ ~ ~' -Z~ : --"~ - ' ' , ,, '.