HomeMy WebLinkAbout7/5/2017 Item 12, McKenzie
Christian, Kevin
From:John McKenzie <johnnimac@earthlink.net>
Sent:Thursday, June
To:E-mail Council Website
Cc:Mudgett, Melissa; Cate Norton
Subject:San Luis Ranch - Dog Park
June 29, 2017
RE: San Luis Ranch Specific Plan and Tract Map
Dear City Council members,
The City of San Luis Obispo needs an off-leash dog park. Dogs need to have places to run free!
A Dog Park Plan is a needed first step and San Luis Ranch (SLR) should, at a minimum, prepare this Plan.
When the SLR Specific Plan went before the Parks and Recreation Commission on 2/3/16, at least two of the
Commissioners suggested in lieu fees be specifically directed for dog park improvements at the Laguna Lake
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’.
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.
While many of the 9 other unmet needs from this section of the Parks and Recreation Element have been
partially or fully met over the last 16 years, why has so little been done to get a fenced off leash park within
the City limits? Based on national survey data and local census information, the City of SLO currently has more
than 10,000 dogs. The need to provide a place for all dogs to be able to run exists now. And, San Luis Ranch
will be adding another 300 dogs, based on 580 new residences!
The proposed park at the San Luis Ranch will only be ½ the amount typically required of this size of
development. As dog parks need between 1 to 1.5 acres, if one were proposed at SLR, the limited SLR park
acreage proposed (3.4 ac) would leave very little area for other recreational needs. Further, all of the
residential lots will be very small with little or no backyard, increasing the need for a place to take the 300
dogs for a run. Simply making the developer pay a fee into the general recreation coffers will not meet this
unmet demand for our canine companions.
Adjacent to the SLR development is the Laguna Lake Park which includes the only ‘unleashed dog area’ ( a
decades old 'pilot’ program without any follow-up) 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
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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,
as suggested by Parks and Recreation Commissioners. The first step needed is 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 through private donations/fundraisers, grants, project exactions, or through yearly City
budgeting. The beauty of a dog park is that it can be built in small or large phases.
Having a Plan prepared/approved will also accomplish the following:
1) It will eliminate the hodge-podge ‘improvements’ that have been made over the years, or that are
currently being installed which would reduce wasteful spending. For example, the replacement fence just
installed follows the existing fence line, and portions will have to be removed if there will be any expansion
of the existing parking area along the existing road. Another example is the perimeter boulders – these do
nothing to help control the off-leash dogs, especially if the dogs are water lovers (owners of such dogs
have little ability to control such dogs when they race to the water/mud ponds beyond the boulders). The
boulders just show where the ranger can issue the $500 ticket once the dog runs past the boulders.
2) It could be used to amend the Quimby fee as an added recreational capital improvement; and
3) It could be used as a part of updating the Parks and Recreation Element relating to dog parks.
The SLR project should be required to at least prepare this Plan. As SLR will be adding 300 dogs with very
limited opportunity for them to legally run off leash, I would request the Council amend the following
condition as follows (italicized and underlined portion is new):
Condition # REC-1.
REC-1. Parkland In-lieu Fees. The project applicant shall pay parkland in-lieu fees in accordance with the
City’s parkland in-lieu fee program for the parkland shortage. The project’s specific fee shall be determined
by the City at the time of project approval, after accounting for parkland provided within the San Luis Ranch
Specific Plan Area. 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, a portion of these funds will be set aside 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 final inspection or approval of Phase 1 subdivision improvements. 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, a comparable amount of funding shall be applied towards
Dog Park improvements at Laguna Lake Park.
While the Council recently funded the update of the Parks and Recreation Element, which I hope will provide a
long-term vision for city parks and trails and how dogs will fit in, now is time for the Council to take an
overdue first step to focus efforts on getting a nice dog park now as defined above.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
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John McKenzie
813 Bougainvillea St., SLO, CA
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