Title
Review and Recommend to City Council a Dog Park Located at Leydecker Park.
Body
To: Honorable Chair and Members of the Recreation and Park Commission
From: Amy Wooldridge, Recreation and Parks Director
Re: Review and Recommend to City Council a Dog Park Located at Leydecker Park.
BACKGROUND
The City Council approved $75,000 in the FY 2021-2023 capital improvement project budget to construct at least one dog park located in East End Alameda or Bay Farm Island. Existing dog park facilities in Alameda include one large dog park with separate small and large dog areas, located at Lower Washington Park off 8th Street and a dog park on Main Street near the ferry terminal. The Main Street Dog Park is temporary and will be closed once Phase 2 of Estuary Park is completed, which will include a new and better equipped dog park with separate facilities for large and small dogs. Funding was recently secured from a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant with matching city development impact fees to complete Phase 2 of Estuary Park and it is anticipated to open to the public in late 2024.
City staff reviewed multiple city-owned locations throughout East End and Bay Farm Island and considered criteria for feasibility including whether they were city-owned sites, existing park uses, available amenities such as restrooms, parking and potential impacts on neighbors. Three potential locations at Krusi, Towata and Leydecker Parks were discussed by the Recreation and Parks Commission (Commission) on September 9, 2021 and December 9, 2021. A city-wide community survey regarding these three potential dog park locations was completed by 1,637 people and staff also met directly with the Towata family and the Community of Harbor Bay Isle Owners Association (CHBIOA) Executive Director. The survey was one data point of the total information available for the project location recommendation.
On December 9, 2021, the Commission reviewed the survey results, heard public comment and directed staff to bring back additional information on a fourth potential location on Harbor Bay Parkway that was originally suggested by a community member in the survey.
On January 13, 2022, the Commission discussed the Harbor Bay Parkway potential location. Staff reported that the site was infeasible because it is within 100 feet of the shoreline and therefore under the jurisdiction of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC). City staff consulted with BCDC staff who indicated they felt this may not be a good use of the space. The Commission concurred this was not a good location as the BCDC permit can be expensive and time consuming while still not certain it can be obtained. The location is also not within walking distance of neighborhoods. The Commission directed staff to return with a recommendation on a dog park at Leydecker Park and/or Towata Park.
Staff conducted further outreach for the Leydecker Park location and met with board members of Temple Israel of Alameda, Pastor John of the Bay Farm Community Church, the entire CHBIOA board, and representatives of the Alameda East End Dog Park advocates.
DISCUSSION
Staff is recommending a dog park at Leydecker Park in a revised layout that is approximately 10,000 square feet and is adjacent to the basketball court and the public parking area (Exhibit 1). This proposed location will include six-foot fencing around the park (possibly higher on the basketball court side), use of the existing hill with the possibility to grade it down to be closer to level, and adding benches and additional trees for shade. It is a more ideal location within the park because the adjacent parking is public, it is near restrooms and a drinking fountain and is the furthest possible distance from the church, synagogue and two pre-schools to mitigate any noise impacts from the dog park.
This is dog park area is small in size and intended to serve local residents and not the broader Alameda community which is better served by the dog park at Washington Park and soon, Estuary Park. The recommended site at Leydecker Park is approximately 10,500 square feet. For comparison, the Washington Park Dog Park is 161,000 square feet and the Main Street Dog Park is 61,000 square feet.
Staff is also making operational recommendations for this site to address concerns that were raised during the public input and outreach process. The primary concerns expressed by representatives from the Temple of Israel, Bay Farm Community Church and CHBIOA were impacts on parking, particularly their private parking area located adjacent to originally proposed sites, noise from barking dogs, and the impact of adding further developed facilities to this park. These operational recommendations include:
• Install clear signage directing dog park users to park only in the adjacent public parking in front of the recreation center and library and not in the private parking area toward the back of the lot.
• Not divide this small dog park and instead have the entire area serve both large and small dogs. There could be certain days dedicated for small dog or large dogs only. This concept was discussed and supported by the two representatives from the East End Dog Park advocacy group.
Towata Park is not recommended by staff as it is a less desirable location, in large part, because it does not have restrooms which are important for the added usage of a dog park. The Towata Park location is also opposed by the Towata family because John S. Towata owned a flower shop for decades in Alameda and the family felt a dog park was not compatible with the beauty and plants to honor Mr. Towata. While this is a public park and changes to any park do not require the approval of the family after whom the park is named, in this case, staff felt it important to respect and honor the intent for whom Towata Park is named.
Staff recognizes that the Leydecker Park location primarily serves Harbor Bay/Bay Farm Island residents. There is a possible future dog park location on the East End as part of the Clement Avenue Extension/Tilden Way transportation project. This intersection is converting previous railroad right-of-way to extend the Cross Alameda Trail, improve truck and bus routes and improve bicycle and pedestrian safety. As part of this project, there is a small potential area of 5,000 to 10,000 square feet that could be dedicated as an East End dog park and incorporated into the design. This is a good location that would serve East End residents with ample vehicle and bicycle parking at the adjacent shopping center, easy and safe bicycle and pedestrian access (once improvements are completed), and nearby businesses compatible with a dog park. Whether a dog park is located at this site will be determined based on the Transportation Department’s public input process and final design with the priority being the transportation components.
City Council has the final approval authority of the Leydecker Park dog park location. If confirmed, staff will develop a design and bring it back to the Commission for approval. This will include whether synthetic or natural grass is feasible within the available budget. Photo examples are shown in Exhibit 2 of other dog parks with natural grass versus synthetic turf. The level of maintenance and staff hours required will vary based on the type of surfacing. Natural grass requires the highest level of maintenance and includes regular weekly and monthly park closures to properly maintain the grass. It also will be more challenging to maintain natural grass at the proposed location if it remains with the small hill. Synthetic turf requires the least maintenance but is the most expensive to install.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
In the FY 2021-23 capital improvement project budget, there is $75,000 allocated toward design and construction of a dog park. Depending upon the scope of the facility design combined with the increasing construction costs in the Bay Area, this may be not be enough funding to complete the dog park. Therefore, there could be additional fundraising and/or request for additional City funding to complete the project.
A new dog park will require additional maintenance and the level of maintenance and amount of associated expense depends upon the type of surfacing as discussed previously.
RECOMMENDATION
Review and Recommend to City Council a Dog Park Located at Leydecker Park.
Respectfully submitted,
Amy Wooldridge, Recreation and Parks Director
Exhibits:
1. Proposed Leydecker Park Dog Park Location
2. Examples of Natural Versus Synthetic Dog Park Turf