HomeMy WebLinkAbout2/4/2026 Item 4a, Lenz
Adian Lenz <
To:adivisorybodies@slocity.org
Cc:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Request to revisit and solicit pubic input for keeping the paying field intact and
elimination of a dog park at Emerson Park.
Dear Parks and Recreation Commissioners,
I am writing as a long-time Old Town resident whose home sits directly across from Emerson
Park, to share concerns that I believe have not been fully acknowledged as you consider the
proposed dog park.
My husband and I have spent many years — and considerable personal resources — restoring
our historic Old Town home. We did so with the understanding that Emerson Park was a
neighborhood park intended to support children’s play and quiet residential life. Our home has
been featured repeatedly in City materials celebrating Old Town, and we have taken pride in
contributing to the character and preservation of this neighborhood.
The current plan would place a fenced, off-leash dog park right next to our home and directly
adjacent to areas used daily by children for play and informal sports. While design features such
as fencing and landscaping have been mentioned, they do not change the lived reality of what
this placement would mean for those of us who reside immediately across from the park.
Beyond daily livability, placing a permanent off-leash dog park immediately next to residences
has predictable consequences. A home that is difficult to live in because of persistent
barking and constant dog activity is also difficult to sell. This does not affect only current
owners — it affects anyone who might live there in the future. Institutionalizing a use
that degrades residential livability is not fair to neighbors who live with its consequences every
day.
Emerson Park is a small neighborhood park, surrounded by homes. It is not a regional facility,
and it was never intended to host an intensive off-leash use immediately outside people’s front
doors. The City’s recent development of a large, purpose-built dog park at Laguna Lake
demonstrates that dog parks can be sited thoughtfully — away from residences and children’s
active play areas. That same care has not been applied here.
I appreciate the Commission’s work and the difficulty of these decisions. I ask only that the very
real impacts on nearby residents — especially those who have invested deeply in this
neighborhood — be weighed alongside other considerations, and that Emerson Park remain a
place that supports both children’s play and the livability of the surrounding community.
1
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Adian and Richard Lenz
559 Pismo Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
2
From:Adian Lenz
To:Advisory Bodies
Subject:Emerson field in full use 1/23/26 6 different sports groups
Date:Friday, January 23, 2026 10:54:58 PM
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