HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 5.2 Dougherty Hills Dog Park
CITY CLERK
File # D~~[(2]-[lJ[Q]
AGENDA STATEMENT
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: November 20, 2007
SUBJECT:
Dougherty Hills Dog Park Petition
Report by Diane Lowart, Parks & Community Services Director
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Petition to Dublin City Council
2. Map of Artwork Locations
RECOMMENDATIO~: 1.
2.
\ 3.
Receive Staff presentation;
Receive Public comment;
Provide direction to Staff on the safety and improvement
revisions requested by petitioners.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT:
Estimated cost associated with safety and improvement revisions
requested by petitioners: $111,942
DESCRIPTION: At the September 18, 2007 meeting of the Dublin City Council, the
Council accepted the Dougherty Hills Dog Park. The total cost of the project including design,
construction and artwork was $584,416.
Since the park was opened for use in May 2007, it has received a tremendous amount of use not only from
Dublin residents but from residents of surrounding cities as well. Staff has received many favorable
comments about the Park from users, some saying that it is the bestin the area. Staff has also received a
number of complaints from users regarding the condition of the turf, the artwork locations and the agility
course.
On November 5, 2007 the City was presented with a petition seeking "safety and improvement revisions"
to the Dougherty Hills Dog Park (Attachment 1.) The revisions deal with the following areas:
· Artwork Currently Inside the Dog Park
· Agility Items Currently Inside the Dog Park
· Lighting - Nonexist~nt
· Parking - Congested "Boxed In" Vehicles
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COPY TO: Parks & Community Services Commission; OzzieoDashevsky
Page 1 of3
ITEM NO.
5:2..
G:\COUNCIL\Agenda Statements\2007\11-20 Dog Park-2odoc
The petition includes the signatures of 252 users of the Dog Park of which 43% or 107 were Dublin
residents.
In response to the petition, Staff has prepared an analysis of each requested revision.
ARTWORK: The art for the Dog Park consists of three groupings of whimsical dog figures constructed
of metal found objects and steel fabrication ranging from 2-feet to 5-feet high. The groupings are placed
on concrete "paw prints" approximately 6- feet long by 6- feet wide. Shortly after the Dog Park opened,
there were several complaints about the artwork and the potential that dogs could run into it and possibly
be injured. To date, there are no documented injuries to dogs resulting from the artwork. As a result,
Staff and the artist met on-site to inspect the artwork. The artist was directed to make minor
modifications to any piece that posed a potential safety issue.
As noted in the petition, the users continue to believe that the artwork presents a serious threat of injury to
the dogs as well as to small children who accompany their families to the facility. The peti~ioners
recommend that artwork be relocated outside of the fenced-in area of the park.
Per the Agreement with the artist, the City cannot alter, relocate, modify or change the work in any way
without permission from the artist. Staff has been in contact with the artist and the Dublin Fine Arts
Foundation; both are agreeable to relocating the artwork. Potential locations for re-Iocating the artwork
on site are shown on Attachment 2. The artwork from the large dog area would be relocated into the
parking lot adjacent to the entry gate and the artwork from the small dog area would be relocated to the
landscaped area between the fence and sidewalk adjacent to the large dog area. The cost to relocate the
artwork would be at the City's expense and the estimated cost is $13,870. This includes the costs incurred
by the artist to remove the artwork, frame new pads and re-install the artwork. Additionally this includes
the cost of pouring the concrete for the new pads by the City's Maintenance Contractor.
AGILITY COURSE: The dog agility course originally consisted of the following elements: teeter-
totter, tunnel, bridge, weave poles and hurdle. On the recommendation of the City's risk manager, the
teeter-totter has since been'removed. As noted in the petition, the users believe that the agility fixtures
present a. serious threat of injury to the dogs as well as to small children who accompany their families to
the facility. The petitioners recommend that the wooden poles for the hurdle and the metal poles for
maneuver training be removed from the fenced-in area of the park. The estimated cost to remove these
fixtures is $230.
LIGHTING: Like most of the City's neighborhood parks, the Dog Park does not contain lighting for
night use. The park hours are dawn to one hour after dusk. At present, the site does not have an electrical
meter as there is currently no need for electrical power to the site. The petitioners recommend allocating
the funds necessary to install adequate lighting to allow the facility to be utilized during the fall and winter
months after dusk. The estimated cost to install lighting including an electrical meter is $97,500.
PARKING LOT: As noted in the petition, there are some visitors to the Dog Park that park illegally in
the parking lot along the curb that runs parallel to Amador Valley Boulevard effectively blocking in those
vehicles who park in designated spaces. The petitioners recommend that the curb be painted red and that
"No Parking" signs be posted. The estimated cost for curb painting and additional signage is $342.
PARKS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION INPUT: Prior to the City receiving the
petition (Attachment 1), the Parks and Community Services Commission received a report on the
Dougherty Hills Dog Park at its October 15, 2007 meeting. The report was a result of several complaints
made by residents during Oral Communications at previous meetings of the Commission. The report
Page 2 of3
received by the Commission dealt with drainage and turf conditions in the large dog park, safety of
animals due to placement of artwork and potential for injury using some of the dog agility course
components.
As a result, the Commission requested that Staff explore options to deal with the drainage and turf
conditions in the large dog area and that consideration be' given to relocating the artwork. No
recommendation was made by the Commission regarding the dog agility course components.
The City Council will be provided with a report at a future meeting related to drainage and turf conditions
at the dog park as they are not a part of the petition which is the subject of this report. Staff would like to
point out however, that the turf in the large dog area has been severely impacted by the amount of use that
the park receives. It is not unusual to see anywhere upwards of 20 dogs in the area at anyone time and at
all hours of the day. Additionally, the narrow area from the entrance gate to the open turf restricts all the
traffic; thereby concentrating the wear of the turf and compaction of the soil.
Staff intends to close the Park for maintenance (much like what is done with the athletic fields at the
Dublin Sports Grounds and Emerald Glen Park) from January through March 2008. During this time, the
turf would be reworked with the addition of gypsum, turf blend soil and fertilizer. The area would then be
reseeded both through slit seed and drop seeding. Finally, the area would be top dressed with hydroseed
fiber mulch to help germination and growth. Minor irrigation adjustments will be made as well.
Although this closure will result in a better stand of turf when the park re-opens, Staff anticipates that if
the heavy use continues to occur, the damage to the turf will reoccur resulting in the need for an annual
closure for maintenance.
RECOMMENDATION: Regarding the requests of the petitioners, Staff is seeking direction
from the City Council regarding the relocation of the artwork and the agility course fixtures. Staff does
not recommend installation of lights due to the proximity of the Dog Park to adjacent housing and the
noise generated by the dogs that use the park. Staff recommends approval of the request for modifications
to the parking lot in order to ease parking congestion.
In conclusion, Staff recommends that the City Council take the following action: 1) receive Staff
presentation; 2) receive Public comment; and 3) provide direction to Staff on the safety and improvement
revisions requested by petitioners.
Page 3 of3
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PETITION TO:
DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL
PARKS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMISSION
SUBJECT: DOUGHERTY HILLS DOG PARK - SAFETY ISSUES
We, the undersigned citizens of Dublin and Neighboring communities, who utilize the
subject facility to socialize and exercise our pets, do hereby petition the Council to
review and implement the safety and improvement revisions defined below.
1. ARTWORK CURRENTLY INSIDE THE DOG PARK
a. As noted at previous meetings, the artwork that was placed inside both the
large and small dog parks present a serious threat of injury to the dogs
running and playing freely in the area as well as to. small children who
may accompany their families to the facility.
b. SUGGESTED RECOMMENDATION - Renegotiate the contract with the
artist to allow the relocation of the artwork OUTSIDE of the fenced-in
area of the park.
2. AGILITY ITEMS CURRENTLY INSIDE THE DOG PARK
a. As noted at previous meetings, the agility fIxtures that were installed
inside the large dog area present a serious threat of injury to the dogs
running and playing freely in the area as well as to small children who
may accompany their families to the facility. The key items in question
are:
i. Fixed wooden poles for the hurdle (2)
ii. Fixed metal poles for maneuver training (6)
Please note that these items have not been utilized for their originally
intended purpose of an agility-training course.
b. SUGGESTED RECOMMENDATION - Remove the defined poles from
the fenced in area of the large dog park.
3. LIGHTING - NONEXISTENT
a. The change of season, and corresponding decrease 'in the hours of
daylight, have effectively decreased the availability of the facility for the
use of many dog owners. Many of these people do not return home until
after 6:00pm. During this past summer they have become accustomed to
utilizing the facility for socializing and exercising their pets. Considering
that the facility is "closed" at dusk, and dusk is now occurring at 6:30pm
and will occur earlier as Fall gives 'way to Winter, the facility will
effectively become unavailable to many of these residents.
b. SUGGESTED RECOMMENDATION - Allocate the funds necessary to
install adequate lighting to allow the facility to be utilized during the fall
and winter months after dusk In conjunction with the lighting, automatic
timers would be installed to turn the lights on at dusk and off at a mutually
agreed upon predetermined time.
4. PARKING - CONGESTION "BOXED IN " VEHICLES
a. The curb behind the designated parking slots is used by some visitors to
. the facility. This effectively blocks those with large vehicles who have
parked in designated spots.
b. SUGGESTED RECOMMENDATION - Paint the curb red and install
''No Parking" signage to eliminate the problem. If necessary issue
appropriate parking citations.
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