Portola Valley Notes Portola Valley Notes (February 18, 2004)

Dog park endorsed in principle

Portola Valley residents may one day have a place to let their dogs off their leashes to socialize and exercise, if objections and concerns can be laid to rest.

In a letter, residents Mary and Rodney Smith of Los Trancos Road proposed a residents-only dog park in the open field next to the Ford Field baseball diamond on Alpine Road. The subject was discussed at the February 11 Town Council meeting.

Dog owners now have no place in town to legally free their dogs, though it is being done anyway. "We constantly are trying to enforce the 'No dogs allowed' [rule] on trails like Coalmine Ridge," said Trails and Paths Committee chair Lynne Davis.

The idea of a dog park appealed to both the Trails and Paths and the Parks and Recreation committees, but the Conservation Committee opposed it, in part because of its environmental impact and its location at the entrance to the town.

The committees' recommendations will figure in the council's decision, Councilman Ed Davis said in an interview. There is a desire to get the park going, he said, but the proposals need to be fleshed out.

There was support for a dog park at the Town Center, including from Councilman Richard Merk, who is the council's liaison to the Conservation Committee.
Conservation guidebook to be published

Residents of Portola Valley may soon be receiving a booklet advising them on how to conserve the ambience, nature and resources of the town.

Members of the town's Conservation Committee submitted a draft of the document to the Town Council at the February 11 meeting. The council proposed spending a bit more than usual on the print job and sending the booklet to current residents as well as new residents.

The brief chapters in the 25-page draft catalog the town's environmental values and explain how residents can participate in preserving them. Among the 12 topics covered are open space, the distractions of artificial light at night, the preservation of views, and steps to take to avoid accumulating excess packaging materials.

"This is a really neat piece of work," said Councilman Ed Davis. "It has the right imagery, the right attitude. I really commend you."

"I think this is the greatest thing since the design guidelines," said Councilman Richard Merk. "To have it go into the Portola Valley welcoming packet is just fabulous."

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