Fetching A Dog Park  For Encinitas

PAUL SISSON
Staff Writer

North County Times
April 13, 2003

ENCINITAS ---- A park full of unleashed dogs might seem like a mess waiting to happen.

But a visit to Orpheus Park at 5:30 p.m. on a recent Wednesday showed unleashed dogs and humans playing in harmony.

There was no barking, snarling or biting, and a distinct lack of doggie land mines underfoot.

"What's nice is that here everyone really seems pretty respectful ---- they pick up after themselves," said Leucadia resident Carla Lufting.

Encinitas has allowed dog owners to let their pets roam unleashed at Orpheus Park in Leucadia and Viewpoint Park downtown every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning and early evening since 1996.

Now the City Council has changed focus.

Rather than allowing dogs in certain parks just during specified hours, it has committed to creating a fenced park where dogs can run free at all times, sometime between July 1 and June 30, 2004. The place is being called an "interim" park because it could be a temporary dog-friendly space while the city eyes other, permanent sites.

Interim dog park eyed

Fenced off-leash dog parks are a growing trend in California. Locally, pooch parks have popped up in Poway and Carlsbad. The Rancho Coastal Humane Society will open a half-acre dog park in Encinitas at its Requeza Street headquarters on April 19.

City Councilwoman Maggie Houlihan, the council's most vocal canine champion, said the interim park will most likely end up on an 8.3-acre strip of land the city purchased in October from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. for $10, plus approximately $3,600 in back taxes.

The city staff "is studying various sites right now, so I hate to make assumptions but that (site), to me, would be a no-brainer. It seems like a very good choice" for the interim dog park, Houlihan said.

Located in New Encinitas east of El Camino Real, the parcel runs between Encinitas Boulevard and Mountain Vista Road in the Village Park neighborhood. The property remains vacant because San Diego Gas & Electric Co. owns a 20-foot easement down its spine to maintain access to high-voltage power lines overhead.

Possible pooch parks

In November, the city's Parks and Recreation Commission forwarded a list of potential locations for dog parks to the council for consideration. Included were:

* 1.6 acres of a 6.5-acre city-owned lot on the west side of Quail Gardens Drive. The council is considering using the land as a public works yard.

* Part of the 62-acre Indian Head Canyon recreation area southeast of Saxony Road and Quail Hollow Drive.

* The city's vehicle maintenance yard on Requeza Street in Old Encinitas.

* The Old Olivenhain Fire Station on Lone Jack Road just past Little Oaks Park.

Houlihan said city staffers are examining each site and will give the council a recommendation on the best choice for the first city-sponsored dedicated dog park.

I would be surprised if it wasn't on an agenda in the next couple weeks," she said.

Councilman Jim Bond said he's lukewarm to the idea of more dog parks, and will consider how much land would be used.

"In my mind, we need to understand how much property we're willing to dedicate to dogs and how much we're willing to dedicate to people," he said.

Regarding the SDG&E easement as a dog park, Bond said he would have to be convinced that using the land was the "highest and best use."

"If it is, then I'll vote for it," he said.

People, pets benefit

In Encinitas, a citizens group called People and Dog Zones continues to advocate for one dedicated dog park in each of the city's five communities.

Laurie Michaels has been the group's most visible and vocal advocate, acting as a liaison between the city and dog lovers who want dog parks.

She said the ideal dog park would be fenced, and provide water and shade. Dogs would have to be licensed in order to enter the park and entrances would have an entry corridor with gates at both ends to prevent dogs inside from fleeing when a new pooch enters.

Michaels said People and Dog Zones believes dog parks create better pets because they provide a place for socialization.

"It's not just for the dogs," she added. "We see a dog park as a place for people to socialize, too."

When the City Council picks the location for an interim dog park, Michaels said, people and Dog Zones will start raising money to help pay for turf, fencing and other materials.

"We've got a membership of 300 dog owners to help us raise money," she said.