HomeMy WebLinkAbout2/4/2026 Item 4a, Pinard (4)
Peg Pinard <pinardmat@gmail.com>
Sent:Sunday, January
To:advisorybdies@slocity.org; CityClerk
Cc:E-mail Council Website; Carla Cary; Adian Lenz; Benjamin Winter; Charles Newel; Cathy
Owen; Mia Simmons; Gayle Mills; Ellen Johansing; Rosemary Baxter
Subject:Emerson Park Project Timeline (Uncompressed)
Attention: Parks and Recreations Commissioners and City Clerk
Phase 1: Early 2021 – Initial Grant Proposal Formulation
(This was the starting point of the project, not the result of prior PRC or neighborhood deliberation.)
January 9, 2021 – During the initial formulation of the Prop 68 grant proposal, internal City
materials first show a dog park at Emerson Park. This is the first appearance of the dog park in
City records.
At that time, staff publicly described notice as sent to residents within a 300-foot radius, and Mr.
John McKenzie participated in the January 9 meeting as an active participant.
Staff later characterized February 2021 meetings as “community outreach,” though notice was
described as limited to a 300-foot radius and materials did not disclose the proposed loss of the
open playfield.
March 8, 2021 – The City submitted the Prop 68 grant application to the State including the dog
park.
End of 2021 – The Prop 68 grant was awarded.
Key point: The inclusion of a dog park and the loss of part of the open playfield was introduced during
the initial formulation of the grant proposal and moved into a State funding application within
approximately two months.
Phase 2: 2022–2024 – Design-Stage Communications After Grant Award
2022–2024 – Postcards, surveys, and meetings were conducted after the grant was awarded.
These communications focused on design details, not on whether a dog park should be included
or whether the open playfield should be lost.
Materials did not disclose the proposed loss of the open playfield.
As a result, much of the Emerson Park neighborhood only became aware of the proposal well
after funding had already been secured.
Participation and Outreach Clarification
1
During the Commission’s recent meeting, staff stated that Mr. McKenzie was specifically invited to
participate in Commission discussion. Mr. McKenzie is a leading advocate for dog park development
and appears not to reside within the Emerson Park neighborhood.
Because early notice for this project was publicly described as sent to residents within a 300-foot
radius, Mr. McKenzie’s participation raised questions for me about how other participants were invited
during the initial meeting of the project. I have submitted public records requests seeking documentation
of outreach communications specifically related to the January 2021 meetings, but no such records have
been clearly identified among the materials provided to date.
Why this distinction matters
The communications cited by staff occurred after funding and addressed design, not whether the
project scope—including the dog park and loss of the open playfield—should proceed. Separating these
phases, and clarifying how participation occurred early in the process, helps explain why neighborhood
awareness occurred late and why later design-stage communications cannot be understood as
neighborhood outreach.
Thank you for your time and attention as you prepare for the February 4 review.
Sincerely,
Peg Pinard
Former Mayor, City of San Luis Obispo; Chairperson, Board of Supervisors, County of San Luis Obispo
and Founder, Old Town Neighborhood Association and Historic District (the Emerson Park
Neighborhood)
2
Internal City diagram dated January 9, 2021, created during initial formulation of the Prop 68
grant proposal, showing inclusion of a dog park.
3
Schematic submitted to the State as part of the Prop 68 grant application on March 8, 2021,
including the same dog park concept.
4