City focus
Bryce Alderton
Pooches that run free in Huntington Beach’s Dog Park may soon be
running in another spot.
City Council voted unanimously Monday night to have city staff begin
researching how much it would cost to relocate the Best Friend’s Dog Park
from its current location on Edwards Street near Talbert Avenue to a
grassy sloped area of Central Park on Gothard Street.
The idea came from Councilwoman Debbie Cook in an effort to appease
Dog Park users’ frustration over recently reduced park hours and nearby
residents frustrations at the noise coming from the park.
The City Council reduced the hours of the park last month restricting
the times owners could bring their dogs to 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays,
and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
This decision came after complaints from park neighbors saying the
barking was intolerable.
“We wanted a location that gets away from residential areas, one that
would be a permanent site, and one that would save the city money because
it wouldn’t have to develop a new area,” Cook said.
The proposed site off Gothard Street consists currently of a parking
lot, trees and a grassy area, and is nearly the size of the current Dog
Park, said Ron Hagan, director of community services for the city.
Hagan hopes to bring a recommendation before the City Council in
March.
Council’s decision pleased Huntington Beach resident Sherrey
Hollander, who lives with her husband Bart and their two daughters near
the current Dog Park.
“I couldn’t be happier, it’s what we’ve been wanting,” Hollander said
of the relocation.
The Hollanders have lived in their house on Edwards Street, across
from the park, for 15 years -- long before Dog Park went in.
Hollander has voiced her displeasure with barking coming from the park
at City Council meetings and has written letters.
She said the new park hours have not eased the amount of barking she
hears daily.
“I have an office in the house and people still gather with their dogs
and it’s constant barking,” Hollander said. “[Our family] loves dogs
though, that’s never been the issue. If my daughters could have their
way, we’d have 50 dogs.”
A new location will hopefully enable more dog owners to enjoy the park
before and after work, said Laura Garay who chairs the Board for the Dog
Park Foundation.
“I used to go to the park everyday before work, but now it’s not
possible,” she said. “The hours are so limited right now and not
convenient to take them before or after work.”
Fund-raising for the relocation will be the foundation’s next goal.
“We’re going to do everything we can to make this work,” she said.
Last year the foundation raised $600 for park improvements.
“So far we have about $130 from this year’s campaign,” Garay said.Glen
Griffith sympathizes with dog owners that work and have trouble taking
their dogs to the park with the new hours.
“I have the luxury of coming here midday, but most people with normal
jobs couldn’t do that,” he said.
Griffith funded the planting of a tree in the name of his German
Shepherd mix, Angel, to help raise funds for Dog Park when it first
opened.
He’s concerned the time and money people have given to beautify the
park will be wasted.
“They would have to start over,” Griffith said of the many trees
planted and plaques situated.
But some dog owners were open to the idea of a new location if it
would cause less complaints.
“If it’s a place safe from any potential problems, then I’m for a
better location,” said Sean Murphy, who lives two blocks from the park
and has been taking his dog Tara there for more than a year. “It’s
unfortunate how it is now. Four houses are deciding the fate [of the
park].”
Some pet owners are concerned that a new park would not be as nice as
the current park.
“I’m scared if it’s relocated it won’t be as nice,” said Christine
Cornell. “It’s a nice park that people have put a lot of time and care
into with the [plaques] and planting trees.”
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