Survey asks: Should Newport rein in unleashed dogs at ‘no man’s’ beach?
The beach adjacent to the mouth of the Santa Ana River has long been a popular place for Newport Beach dog owners to take their pups for some exercise. But recently, nearby residents have complained about the animals being off leash and owners failing to pick up waste.
In light of the complaints, Newport Beach officials are seeking responses to an online survey with the goal of figuring out whether residents would support city police patrolling the area to enforce Orange County leash laws.
The area, between Newport Beach and Huntington Beach, is considered county land.
Mayor Diane Dixon, who has two golden retrievers, said she has received dozens of emails from residents seeking relief.
“The area needs to be tended to,” she said. “Right now it’s a no man’s land and no one is regulating it or maintaining it, and that’s unacceptable for the residents.”
The nearest designated dog beach, where pets are free to roam the sand sans leash, is in Huntington Beach off Goldenwest Street. Newport Beach does not have a similar designated area.
The Santa Ana River site is far from county services, making it difficult for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department to patrol it for dogs off leash or to cite people who don’t pick up after their pets, according to Newport Beach City Manager Dave Kiff.
City and county staff members have been working together for months to come up with a solution to what some residents say is a growing problem of a dirty beach and a lack of respect for laws that require dogs to be leashed at all times.
The county has shown interest in allowing the city to enforce laws along that stretch of sand, Kiff said.
“But before we do anything, I wanted to ask the public to hear what their thoughts are on the issue,” he said. “I want to make sure there’s community support.”
On a typical weekend, more than 20 dogs — some off leash — can be seen running and playing on the sand and in the water, beachgoers say.
As of Friday afternoon, 87 comments had been left below a post on the city’s Facebook page that contains a link to the survey (bit.ly/1Ng9Io1). Most of the comments oppose the city patrolling the area.
“The only people that hang out on this part of the beach are people with dogs, so no,” resident Charlotte Hull wrote. “It’s a small area of dog heaven, not only for the dogs themselves but the owners. [It’s] somewhere we can go locally with our pets year-round to let them enjoy the ocean and the beach.”
The survey will be available until Jan. 7. The City Council is expected to discuss the issue after the results have been tallied.
