Meeting with Residents on Potential East Side Dog Park...

This morning at 9 am (after a 7:45 am meeting at the Airport on another matter), I met with members of the Lakes, Ponds and Wetlands Taskforce (which has been meeting for 5 years on park issues and 2 years on dog park issues) as well as many members of the LB Community Gardens and friends of the Nature Center.

We started our meeting at the Nature Center and I explained that I had originally proposed using a portion of the maintenance yard just south of Spring (see map above). However, my colleague in the 4th Council District for whatever reason, jumped on the idea of a dog park but put out a release supporting the use of a second parcel -- which would greatly impact both the Nature Center and the Community Gardens.

To be clear, I oppose use of a parcel that would infringe on the Nature Center and Community Gardens for all the many reasons that those who attended the meeting today stated.

My proposal for the maintenance yard (and only a portion of it) was to make sure we were not in any way impacting on park land now used for other purposes. Additionally, that lot is adjacent to the Animal Care Center and I hoped that the two could work together to create educational programs on dog care.

So we then looked at two alternate sites across Spring Street inside the El Dorado Regional Park.

The first site ( which I had proposed some time ago) is immediately inside the park, visible to the public, near parking and a restroom and most importantly not on park land used for anything else. The consensus from the group was that this is the best site for a dog park (totally financed by sponsors and not the city).

The second site is behind the archery range -- out of range from arrows -- but a distance away from parking and restrooms and the entrance. The group thought that the public would not be as supportive of a dog park that was tucked back into the park and again returned to the first site in the park and again agreed it would be better.

The public is invited to send me their comments which I will relay to the Parks and Rec Commission which has the ultimate decision on this and other issues related to park use.

I want to thank my staff, Parks and Rec staff and the people who came out this morning to learn about this issue. Thanks so much.