EDITORIAL: Dogs need a place to roam EDITORIAL: Dogs need a place to roam (November 03, 2004)

The sticky, and sometimes messy, issue of whether and where to allow off-leash dog hours in Menlo Park is set to come before the City Council at what is certain to be a standing-room-only meeting November 9.

The council will decide whether one, two or more of the city's parks should be open to dogs off-leash, a major change from current law that requires dogs to be restrained at all times. The council will first consider the advice of its Parks and Recreation Commission, which decided October 20 to recommend approving just two parks for unleashed dogs, including a limited number of hours in a fenced-off area at Nealon Park on Middle Avenue and an unfenced, dawn-to-dusk area, at Willow Oaks Park at Willow Road and Coleman Avenue.

That recommendation came after the commission considered the work of a special task force that recommended six such venues should be created, at Burgess, Willow Oaks, Sharon, Stanford Hills, Nealon and Lyle parks. City staff supported only three parks, at Willow Oaks, Nealon and Sharon, due to maintenance and safety concerns.

The task force, made up of two Parks and Recreation commissioners and five residents who had various views on the issue, held hearings in four areas of the city in September, and then evaluated the responses. The panel also developed criteria to rate each park. These included: the size of the possible dog-park area, proximity to homes and human safety, dog safety and accessibility; these criteria were weighted in the order of their deemed importance.

Using this method, the committee dropped four parks and specific areas within Burgess and Nealon parks from consideration.

In making its decision, the commission first put off approval of any unleashed-dog area in Burgess Park until the current renovation is complete, which is expected to happen next year. Sharon and Stanford Hills parks were ruled out due to strong neighborhood opposition and lack of positive interest from the public, commissioners said. Lyle Park, on Middle Avenue, was dropped because it's just a few blocks away from Nealon.

Commissioners were hoping to disperse off-leash hours across the city. And Belle Haven residents were strongly opposed to opening areas of Kelly Park at the Onetta Harris Community Center, due to concerns about pit bulls and Rottweilers being off-leash, commissioners said.

At this stage, the council should take a good look at the Parks and Recreation Commission proposal. It would provide off-leash park areas on the east and west side of the city, and possibly more space at Burgess Park. And although the task force advised six sites, we agree with the commission that off-leash areas should not be pushed on neighborhoods that don't want them.

It is better to start with a small, manageable number of off-leash areas, which will keep costs down and enable city staff members to assess demand. With just two venues, the estimated cost of adding these special areas at Nealon and Willow Oaks parks would be less than $50,000, if grass areas are simply fenced. If decomposed granite is used, as suggested by staff members, the cost rises considerably, but maintenance is much easier and some costs could be covered by an annual fee paid by owners whose dogs use the area.

According to a city survey, most surrounding cities offer residents at least one off-leash area for dogs. Menlo Park should do likewise, as long as the impact on neighbors and residents using the parks is not extensive.

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