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Home My WebLink About8/4/2021 Item 2, McKenzie Wilbanks, Megan From:John McKenzie < To:Advisory Bodies Subject:8-4 PRC Meeting - Blueprint for the Future Attachments:PRC - 8-4-21 Meeting letter.pdf This message is from an External Source. Use caution when deciding to open attachments, click links, or respond. 1 Dear Parks & Recreation Commission, Now that we have an approved Blueprint for the City’s recreational needs it’s time to get to work! As you know, enclosed dog parks ranked high in the document. Further, the City Council directed staff to find some ‘quick build’ recreational elements, specifically including dog parks. In my July letter to your Commission, Friends of SLO City Dog Parks (SLOCITYDOGS) identified three locations that could potentially fulfill the City Council’s ‘quick build’ directive as follows: Option 1 – Righetti Ranch • A small Dog Park (1/4 acre) is already planned for the larger community park within Orcutt Area Specific Plan (Righetti Ranch); Final planning and design of this park has begun but will likely take several years before it is constructed; also, the proposed ¼-acre size is too small for an enclosed dog park; • Each home sale has included monies earmarked for park development. As a few phases have already been built, and more are under construction, funding is currently available to apply towards city park elements; • Within the Specific Plan, the City owns several parcels within the Righetti Ranch for park use; one of these is about 1 acre in size and could be considered mostly ‘dog park ready’ and could be constructed within a year; it is relatively flat, has irrigation and potable water nearby, and one side is already fenced. • Design work should be relatively quick and straight-forward. The property is located near the internal roundabout and is bounded by the railroad, the linear detention basin and Righetti Ranch Road; • the main current drawback is that it is the existing staging area for the current home construction effort and would need to relocate (there are other available large areas for staging); the lack of shade currently will be remedied with perimeter planting of trees, and/or a shade structure (another Council ‘quick build’ directive); • the existing driveway on Righetti Ranch Road to this parcel would be used; a small parking lot should be included; • the original recreational use for this parcel included a community garden; this could be included in the new design; • This location could be either permanent (and then delete from Righetti park elements) or interim when a nearby comparably-sized area is identified (either as a part of the larger Righetti Park, or possibly Islay Park, if a comparable ballfield is built nearby (and then convert the Islay ballfield to a dog park)). Option 2 - Laguna Lake Park (LLP) • Dog use already established (but only for dogs that do well without needing a fence, or small/big dog separation); • Blueprint recognizes this park as a good candidate for an enclosed park; • LLP is an underdeveloped park that could easily accommodate an amply-sized enclosed dog park; a larger size would allow for a higher quality park with additional elements to make for a signature dog park experience (e.g., include a memorial walkway and circle with dog-inspired art/poetry; larger area could accommodate limited dog-related events (e.g., trainings, agility course, fundraisers, etc.)); • Partial ‘safety’ fence is already in place and could be used as a part of the fully enclosed dog park; • Existing parking and bathroom; • Existing water source with a couple of existing dog water stations; • Existing benches, dog waste stations (bags, trash) and signage; • San Luis Ranch’s development agreement directs some recreational fees towards Laguna Lake Park of which some could be used for a dog park. Option 3 – Emerson Park • The City has submitted a grant application with the state to renovate Emerson Park, which includes an enclosed dog park; • Should this grant be awarded construction could begin as early as next year; • This would serve existing downtown residential communities; • Could also serve downtown hotels that are dog-friendly, and other downtown visitors with dogs. SLOCITYDOGS is prepared to conduct fundraising efforts to supplement the cost of amenities not included in any initially constructed dog park that has limited amenities to help make each new dog park a desirable place to take one’s dog to play. One of our ideas we hope to develop with the City is holding a monthly ‘Yappy Hour’, maybe at Laguna Lake Park, hopefully showcasing our local breweries and wineries . SLOCITYDOGS is also willing to assist the pursuit of grants (e.g., PetSafe) to help supplement costs. We are so excited that the City has taken a well-deserved interest in seeing dog parks become a part of the City of SLO experience. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Tails wagging in anticipation, John McKenzie Friends of SLO City Dog Parks