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HomeMy WebLinkAboutComment Received 07-24-2017 - Avila Ranch (General) (McKenzie) From: John McKenzie < Sent: Sunday, July 23, 2017 9:48 AM To: Advisory Bodies Subject: PC communication - Avila Ranch Dear Planning Commission, The City of San Luis Obispo needs an off -leash dog park. It currently does not have one. RECEIVED CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO JUL 2 4 2017 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Based on a 2012 nationwide survey and current local city census and household data (see assumptions at the end),the City has over 10,000 dogs. The Avila Ranch will add 720 new residences which will add about 415 dogs to this total. Furthermore, many of the residential lots appear they will be very small with little or no backyard, increasing the need for a place to take these 415 dogs for a run somewhere. The EIR along with the staff report make no mention of how these 415 dogs will be addressed. Any dogs found off leash within this development will be subject to a $500 ticket. As most dogs need more than just a walk with their master, this project does not make any provisions for this predicament. This project needs to include a measure to start addressing this ever-increasing unmet need. The San Luis Ranch and Froom Ranch projects will be adding 1100 units and about 630 dogs. These three projects will increase the city's residential inventory by more than 10%. The proposed neighborhood park for this project could accommodate such a dog park as they require between 0.5 and 1.5 acres. A condition could be added to require a dog park be required (as defined below). Another option would be to specifically direct in -lieu fees to Laguna Lake Park, which already has the beginnings of a dog park. In 2001, the City approved their Parks and Recreation Element (General Plan, Chapter 7, Section 3.12), which identified 10 major unmet needs, including 'Specialty facilities, such as disc golf, dog parks, BMX parks'. Since the City does not seem to have a definition, Wikipedia provides the following definition for a 'dog park': A dog park is a park for dogs to exercise and play off -leash in a controlled environment under the supervision of their owners. These parks have varying features, although they typically offer a 4' to 6' fence, separate double -gated entry and exit points, adequate drainage, benches for humans, shade for hot days, parking close to the site, water, tools to pick up and dispose of animal waste in covered trash cans, and regular maintenance and cleaning of the grounds. Dog parks may also offer wheel- chair access, a pond for swimming and a separate enclosure for small dogs. The Parks and Recreation Commission and City Council over the last 16 years have passed over meeting this community need as specified in the Parks and Recreation Element. Simply making the developer pay an in -lieu fee into the general recreation coffers will not meet this unmet demand for our canine companions. As touched upon above, if a dog park is not being proposed within the Avila Ranch project, an efficient solution to this issue would be to look to Laguna Lake Park which includes large areas of under -developed land, and the only'unleashed dog area' (which is a decades old 'pilot' program that never received any follow-up or formalizing) in the City. However, as defined above, this 'dog area' does not meet the definition of a dog park. Being unfenced with limited amenities, there are many dogs and dog owners who will not use this under -improved area (e.g. small dog owners not wanting big dogs around; water dog owners that do not want their dogs to play in the water/mud ponds; owners with 'wandering' dogs; dog owners with physical disabilities; etc.). For many reasons, Laguna Lake Park is well suited to be the first park to establish a fenced off -leash dog park. An important first step would be the preparation of a Dog Park Plan. Such a Plan would be able to identify where and what improvements are needed, including more parking areas (existing parking lot is usually full and overflowing and is not large enough for existing use). Once the specific improvements are identified in this Plan, and the associated costs are known, as money becomes available, the improvements can be prioritized and then completed in phases. Funding of these improvements could then be secured in phases through private donations/fundraisers, grants, project exactions, or through yearly City budgeting. To address this unmet deficiency, one of the following two mitigations/ conditions should be added to the project: Option 1 Dog Park. Prior to final approval of the first phase of residential development, the applicant shall install a 1.0 acre fenced, off -leash dog park. The dog park, at a minimum shall include: a 4' to 6' boundary fence with separated areas for small and big dogs; separate double -gated entry and exit points, adequate drainage, benches for humans including a community shade structure for hot days, adequate parking close to the site, water, planting of shade trees within fenced area, portable water tubs, provisions to collect and dispose of animal, and a provision for regular maintenance and cleaning of the grounds. The dog park shall also offer wheel -chair access. Option 2 Parkland In -lieu Fees. The project applicant shall pay parkland in -lieu fees in accordance with the City's parkland in -lieu fee program. The project's specific fee shall be determined by the City at the time of project approval, after accounting for parkland provided within the Avila Ranch. The in -lieu fees collected from the project shall be directed to new projects or improvements to existing parks and recreation facilities within the City of San Luis Obispo parks system. Furthermore, at a minimum, enough funds shall be collected to prepare a Dog Park Plan for Laguna Lake Park. The applicant will work with the City Parks and Recreation Department to define and complete this Plan. The Plan shall be completed prior to _. Elements of the Plan may include but not necessarily be limited to: Identify Off -leash Dog Park boundaries (include separated small and large dog areas); identify human and dog amenity needs; identify additional parking needs; identify costs associated with all proposed improvements, define maintenance needs, etc. If a Dog Park Plan has already been prepared by others, the in -lieu fee shall be applied towards Dog Park improvements at Laguna Lake Park. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Given that 16 years have passed with no serious attention being given to our faithful friends, now is the time to address this issue in this and all large projects with residential elements until we have at least one real dog park in this town (and catch up with the other six, smaller communities in our county that already have off leash dog parks). Sincerely, John McKenzie 813 Bougainvillea St., SLO, CA 93401 805-441-5894 10,000 dogs — Assumptions/Facts City of SLO pop — 47,339 (2015 census) Per national 2012 estimate, over 1/3 of households (35.6%) own 1-2 dogs (1.6 average/household). Based on the 2010 census for SLO there are 2.2 people per household; and if this is applied to the 2015 City pop., there are about 21,518 households. Based on these stats there are over 7,000 households with dogs, and when the 1.6 dog average is applied there would be over 10,000 dogs within the City of San Luis Obispo.