After more than a decade of heated debate and resistance from neighbors, Los Altos City Council finally approved two fenced-in, off-leash dog parks to be established in three to four months.
On Jan 11, following two separate motions, council members voted 5-0 for the establishment of a dog park at the Civic Center, next to Hillview Soccer Field, while they voted 4-1 vote for the one in McKenzie Park West. Councilmember Neysa Fligor opposed the motion. Los Altos City Council has struggled to find a good spot to build a dog park that addresses all resident concerns. According to statistics shared at a February 2020 commission meeting, 35 to 40% of Los Altos’ households owned dogs.
Last year, the city council implemented a pilot program that allowed dogs to be off leash in the unfenced area of the Hillview baseball field. However, residents complained about increased traffic and parking issues, closeness of residential homes and safety concerns. The Council addressed residents’ concerns and complaints by establishing two fenced-in dog parks instead of an off-leash program. At the city council meeting residents were split. Some like Frank Martin argued that none of the current parks that allow dogs are large enough for them to exercise. “I know some people will be happy, but far more will be unhappy,” said Martin. Others wanted dogs leashed at all times.
“It’s a nice concept, but what the trial at Hillview showed is [that] if you have any amount of off-leash, you are liable to have some incidents, which they did have,” said resident David Stiff.
According to the subcommittee report, three dog-on-dog attacks were reported, a resident reported at the City Council meeting that he was intimidated by a dog three times. In addition, one person was bitten in the pant leg and filed a complaint. Residents also argued whether the dog area should be fenced-in.
“We don’t need fences in parks at all,” said Derek Pitcher, dog-owner, who goes daily to McKenzie Park. Another object of disagreement is one of the dog park locations itself, McKenzie Park, because of the increased traffic due to an already full parking lot and the negative impact of dog urine to the Redwood trees.
The Los Altos Parks and Recreation subcommittee ruled out this location. But the City Council approved it because other options, like the off-leash program, didn’t work. Council members disagreed over whether or not the two parks should open at once. Council member Neysa Fligor argued that the Hillview Park should serve as a pilot program for the
McKenzie one. “My preference is to do at least one year of Hillview [Dog Park]. Then we can assess, look back, learn, and then move forward with McKenzie.”
However, the other members agreed that the establishment of two parks at the same time would seem like a more reasonable option. “I think it’s an unfair assessment to put all of the burden on one site,” Vice Mayor Sally Meadows said. On Feb. 22, Council held the second reading and adopted the ordinance amending Los Altos Municipal Code Section 5.08 authorizing off-leash fenced-in dog parks in certain areas within Los Altos and making findings pursuant to The California Environmental Funds (CEQA.) They also adopted a resolution to increase the current fiscal year budget by $100,000 from Park in Lieu Funds. At the moment, staff is trying to secure a contractor to install a fence at the east end of the Hillview Soccer Field and at the west end of McKenzie Park.
Los Altos Mayor Anita Enander acknowledged disappointment some of them may feel: “We all know this is not a perfect solution to meet every need for every person in the city whether or not you own a dog, but this represents a very substantial step for our city.”
