HomeMy WebLinkAbout5/7/2025 Item 4a, McKenzie
John McKenzie <johnnimac@earthlink.net>
Sent:Monday, May 5,
To:Advisory Bodies
Cc:Avakian, Greg
Subject:PRC 5/7/25 Meeting - Righetti Ranch Park
Dear Parks and Recreation Commissioners,
I walk my dogs weekly in the Righetti Ranch development. I see many others in the development doing the same. It is
frustrating and disappointing that the approved dog park is not even being discussed or included in staff’s immediate
plans for the new community park. In speaking with staff, it sounds like late 2027 is the most optimistic target date for
the dog park, if funding is found, which seems uncertain as construction prices keep going up. As you may know, the
Righetti Ranch development includes about 979 residential units. Based on national studies, about 1/3 of these
households will have 1-2 dogs. That equals about 550 dogs for this development. If you factor in the adjacent
neighborhoods within walking distance (Arbors, Santa Lucia Hills, Sinsheimer) there are an additional 2,000 units, or
1,150 more dogs. The recreational uses currently being considered in the initial phasing (tennis, pickleball, children’s
play area, playing fields) all exist within the nearby surrounding parks (Islay, French, Sinshiemer). There are no nearby
enclosed dog parks (the City’s first enclosed dog park across town at Laguna Lake is nearing completion to accommodate
the City’s 13,000 dogs). Until Righetti Ranch dog park is built, many of the dog-owning households will continue to take
their dogs to run and play unsafely and illegally at the existing nearby parks, schools and/or ball fields. Most of the new
homes in Righetti either have very small or no backyards for their dogs to run. Dogs really need a safe and legal place to
run around and socialize with other dogs. If even ½ of the estimated total number of dogs benefitted from an enclosed
dog park, this number would dwarf the number of daily recreational users anticipated for any of the other activities
planned for this neighborhood park. Please ask staff to reconsider their phasing schedule to include the dog park in this
first phase.
Installing the dog park should be one of the least expensive elements when compared to other elements approved for
the park, especially if it could be done in phases. The railroad site (dog park) needs minimal, if any, grading (nearly level
now). One side of the fence is already installed (along railroad). If the first phase just included completing the fence and
gates, laying down wood chips, and installing signage/dog waste stations, and extending an existing water line, costs
would be minimal and could be completed quickly to get to a functioning dog park. Perimeter tree planting could be
done under the City’s 10,000 Tree planting program if water was available. The second more costly and time-consuming
phase (parking lot, lighting, community garden, water, ADA compliance, and additional landscaping) could be done later
when more funding becomes available.
If your Commission decides to not include the dog park in this initial phase, there may be another path to get a
functional dog park up and running in the near term. Friends of SLO City Dog Parks, a non-profit group, is willing to
pursue a collaborative effort with the City to fundraise and potentially work with other known non-profits (e.g., Rotary
Club) to secure materials and expertise to install the above-mentioned critical dog park elements. If this can be agreed
upon, based on the research completed to date, costs would be a small fraction of what was approved for the Laguna
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Lake dog park. Please encourage staff to pursue this cost-saving approach that will immediately benefit the 1,700 dog-
owning households in the area. This approach will save the City money that can be otherwise spent on its long list of
recreational needs.
As our dogs can only advocate their love of running, socializing and playing in non-verbal ways, Friends has tried to share
their desires in human terms here and hopes you see the importance, need and value of having these enclosed places
for our furry friends to go.
Sincerely,
John McKenzie
Friends of SLO City Dog Parks
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