SR-9-A (63)
CCS sm:dogalr
Councll Meeting: November 28, 1995
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Santa Monica, Callfornia
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STAFF REPORT
NOV 2 8 1995
DEe 1 2 !95
TO: Mayor and Clty Council
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Recommendatlon to Establlsh Temporary Off-Leash Areas
at the Southwest Corner of Stewart Street Park and the
Northern End of Palisades Park to Replace the Marine
Park Site, to Pursue Use of the EXposltlon Right-of-Way
for an Off-Leash Area and to Further Evaluate Alrport
Sites for Off-Leash Use
INTRODUCTION
This report recommends that the Clty Council adopt the attached
resolutlon ellmlnatlng the off-leash area at Marlne Park and
deslgnatlng an area at the southwest corner of Stewart Street
Park and an area at the far northern end of pallsades Park as
temporary off-leash areas The report addltlonally recommends
that staff work wlth the FAA, Airport ComMisslon, Planning
CommlSSlon and Recreation and Parks Com~lSSlons to approprlately
slte and develop an off-leash area a= the Santa Monica Alrport
The report also transmlts the recommendatlons of the Recreation
and Parks CorrmisSlon In thlS regard.
BACKGROUND
Tn September of 1994, followlng a trlal perlod durlng WhlCh
leashed dogs were allowed ~n all Clty parks and off-leash areas ~
were deslgnated at Joslyn and Marlne Parks, the Clty Councll OEe 1 2
dlrected staff to lde!1tlfy an al ternatl ve to the Marlne Park r:ov 2 8 1995
locatlon and suggest addltional off-leash areas Council has
further expressed interest ln development of non-park locatlons
9A J
for off-leash use.
At a spec1al meeting on August 14, 1995, the Recreat10n and Parks
Comm1SS1on held a publlc hearing to conslder seven potential off-
leash sltes. After taklng public comment and deliberating, the
Commiss1on recommended that COUDCll dlrect staff to take the
necessary steps to:
1) Ellmlnate the Mar1ne Park off-leash area.
2) Open the far northern end of Pallsades Park and the
southwest corner of Stewart Street Park for temporary
off-leash use
3) Initlate negotiations wlth MTA regarding beaut1flcation
of as much of the EXposlt1on rail r1ght-of-way as
possible and conversion of some part of the area for off-
leash use lncluding park1ng
4) Report back about the long term prospects of an extens10n
of Clover Park 1n the area south of ~he fire statlon to
include an off-leash area.
Descrlptlons of the proposed off-leash sltes are attached to thlS
report and are located on the associated maps by a dog symbol.
Subsequent to the Recreation and Parks CommlSSlon meeting, a
proposal was received from Santa Monica Dog Owners Group (SMDog)
regardlng converS1on of an area at the northwest corner of the
a1rpo~t for off-leash use. The sketch they submitted lS attached
to this report with an lndlcation of where parklng might be
slted. The Recreation and Parks Comm1SSlon voted at their
Septewber 21, 1995 meeting to support development as suggested by
SMDog as a replacement for the Joslyn Park off-leash area ThlS
recommendation lS separate from and in add1t1on to the
recom~endations stemmlng from the August 14 meeting.
It was anticlpated teat the Alrport CommlSSlon would conSlder the
dog owners' proposal in Septemberr but that meetlng was cancelled
and the October agenca was sufflciently crowded that the ltem was
not heard The matter wlll be before the Alrport Commission on
MondaYr the 27th of November. Staff forwarded an inquiry to the
FAA regardlng their position on such a use of the property and
they have expressed tentative approval of the concept.
The Marlne Park plaYlng flelds and off-leash area were closed for
renovatlon in July The off-leash area has not been reopened
pending Councll conslderation of staff and CommlSSlon
recommendations.
DISCUSSION
All of the park locatlons that the Recreation and Parks
Com~issio~ consldered at thelY August 14 meeting have drawbacks
and a number of them drew nelghborhood Opposltlon The two
locations recom~ended by the CommlSSlon for temporary use are not
without problems The Stewart Street locatlon is adJacent to a
traller park and may generate noise a~d odor complaints from
residents. Much of the pallsades Park slte is pavedr not the
preferred surface for use by dogsr and 1S not lrrigatedr WhlCh
~ay lead to slgnificant odor bUlldup. In addltlonr establlshment
of an off-leash area at thlS s~te will requlre Coastal CommlSSlon
approval and wlll be short-Ilved as it must be closed when
constructio~ of Palisades Par~ l~provements commences in
approximately nlne to twelve ~onths. Dog owners consider both
sltes too small.
Costs for establlshment of the teITporary sites are relatively
low Fencing at Palisades Park would be approximately $650 and
at the Stewart Street park slte approxlmately $950. The staff
effort lnvolved can be accommodated Staff estlmates that the
~emporary sltes coule be fenced and avallable for off-leash use
by December 31 at the latest
In regard to the non-park sltes discussed at the August 14
meeting, both the EXposltlon rlght-of-way and the Airport slte
adjacent to Clover Park would each requlye considerable
regulatory process to secure, slgnificant capltal expendlture to
lmprove and, in the case of the Expositlon slte, the likellhood
of rental payment. Development of the alrport slte would
displace current uses as it lS currently occupled by a
maintenance building and used by the pollce Department for
trainlng exerClses.
The northwest Alrport site, referred to by Santa Monlca Dog
Owners Group as "Propeller Park" may also be a vlable off-leash
locatlon. Staff cannot recommend lmmedlate implementatlon of the
slte due to accessibility, parklng and traffic concerns.
Nelghbors of the site disagree wlth dog owners regardlng the
lITpact of incremental nOlse and the likelihood that prevalllng
wlnds would eliminate odor They express concern that the
elevatlon of the site, overlooklng backyards, would ellmlnate the
prlvacy they have enJoyed Nelghbors also clte rrOlse and jet
fumes as potentially harmful to dogs and thelr owners
Publlc access to the northwest Alrport slte ~s envisioned to be
off Airport Avenue at the new west perlmeter road Construction
of thlS road pends review under procedures to be establlshed by
the Alrport a~d Plannlng CommlSSlons and may occur next Sprlng or
Su~mer. The new roadway would provlde publlc access to the dog
par~ but restrlct access to the airside of the alrport by two
access control gates. Vehicle parklcg would be accommodated east
of the trlangular dog park area on a level slte near the taxiway
WhlCh would be separated by a fence. An estlmated twenty flve to
thirty cars could be accom~odated ln thlS area.
Development of the non-park sltes would be relatlvely costly,
l~cludlng demolitlon and removal of pavlng, gradlng and grubbing,
llghting, accessibility considerations, irrigation and
landscaplng Dependlng on the Slze of the areas secured for off-
leash use the costs could run from $150,000 to several hundred
thousand dollars. Capltal proJects of th1S nature reaU1re
professlonal des1gn serV1ces Vla proposal process, formal b1ddlng
on constructlon and constructlon nanagement by staff or
contractor With a heavy complement of capltal projects
underway, the scheduling of such work would lnvolve a
slgn1f1cant t1me lag. Annual 1ncremental ~aintenance costs
associated with the addition of green space are estl~ated at
$13,300 per acre
Two add1t1onal factors regardlng the Alrport sltes warrant
conslderation. The communlty sensitivity that surrounds any
development at the A1rport must be addressed The Plannlng and
Alrport CommlSSlons are about to cons1der gUldel1~es for public
process In regard to develop~ent and 1t may be prema~ure to
des1gnate a slte prlor to 1mplementatlon of t~e process that
results from the1r del1berat1ons. In add1tion, update of the
Open Space Element and formulatlon of the Recreatlon and Parks
Master Plan lS underway. In publlC meetlngs related to that
effort, the Airport has been repeatedly identlfied as a desirable
location for ~he expansion of park, field and sports facilities
The Councll may wlsh to reserve declslons about appropriate
slt1ng of an off-leash area unti~ the recommendat1ons from that
process are shaped.
BUDGET/FINANCIAL IMPACT
The cost of the temporary sltes can be accommodated 1n the
existing Parks and Sports budget. For development of the rlght-
of-way or a1rport sltes, a slgn1f1cant add1tional capital
appropr1atlon would be required.
RECOMMENDATION
It lS recom~ended that Council adopt the attached resolutlon to
eliminate the Marine Park off-leash slte and establish temporary
off-leash sltes at Pallsades Park (pend1ng Coastal CommlSSlon
approval) and Stewart Street Park. It 18 also recommended that
Councll dlrect staff to vigorously pursue the EXposltlon rlght-
of-way for green space and off-leash use and to evaluate Airport
sltes to determine their relatlve feaslblllty, cost and
sUltabllity for off-leash development wlth approprlate public
input.
Staff wlll contlnue to seek other appropriate sites in the Clty
for off-leash development, worklng wlth dog owners, appropriate
boards and commisslons and nelghborhood groups.
Prepared by: Susan E. McCarthy
Director of Communlty and Cultural SerVlces
Attachment A: Off-Leash Sites Recommended by the Recreatlon
and Parks Commlsslon August 14, 1995
Attachment B Northwest Alrport Slte Proposed by Santa Monlca
Dog
Attachment C Resolutlon of the Clty Councll of the Clty of
Santa Monlca Deslgnatlng Off-Leash Areas
ATTACHMENT A: Off Leash Sites Recommended by the Recreation
and Parks Commission 8/14/95
palisades Park
The far nor~hern end of Pallsades Park is used for p1cnlCS,
strolllng, ]ogglng and appreclation of the Vlews An area of
approxlmately l20' x 35' lmmedlately west of a concrete block
wall could be converted to off-leash use.
ParKlng: There 1S metered parklng along Ocean Avenue lmmedlately
south of the proposed slte, with good avallablllty on week days
and conslderably h1gher demand on weekends.
Llghtlng: There are street lights on Ocean Avenue and walkway
llghts ln the park.
Surface: The surface 1S asphalt and decomposed granite.
Irrlgat10n and turf could be lnstalled.
Fenclng: A portlon
earthquake damage.
co~c~ete block wall
wo~ld be requlred.
of the park ln thlS area 1S fenced off due to
USlng this fence as one perlmecer and the
as the other, mln1mal additlonal fenclng
Res~dentlal PrOXlffilty: Across Ocean Avenue to the east 15 a hlgh
r~se m~ltl-famlly bUlld1ng. To the north, at park level, a
garage ccc~ples the upper storles of a multl-famlly building wlth
reslde~t~al :loors below park level
Speclal Co~sldera~lons. Coastal Comm~SSlon approval may be
r.ecessary =or ~nlS site. Many users of th1S park come from other
=~~lsd~ct~ons and It may be d1fflcult to res~rlct use to dogs
res~s~e~e~ l~ Sa~ta MODlca wlthout a greater enforcement
prese~ce Rencvat~or. of Pallsades Park frc~ A~izona Avenue to
=~e nc~~~ern termlnus may beglD by SpYlng of ~996 and the area
wa~ld be lnaccesslble for approxlmately 9 months.
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Horth Palisades
Park
Stewart Street Park
The proposed site, approxlmately 80' x 601, lies ac the far
southwestern corner of the park ln a fenced area beh~nd the
playground that 18 not access~ble currently to park users. A
baseball fleld lies between the parking lot and thlS locatlon.
Park~ng. Park~ng LS ava1lable 1n the park1ng lot. Considerable
demand eX~sts at lunchtlme and 1n the afternoons and evenlngs
dur1ng baseball and soccer seasons.
L1ghtlng: There 15 llghting in the park and a llght standard 15
located wlth~n the proposed area
Surface: The area is covered wlth weeds. Turf and irr1gatlon
would have to be lnstalled.
Fenclng: The area lS currently fenced. The fenclng requlres
repa1r and a gate would have to be lDstalled.
ReSlde~tlal Proxlmity A trailer park 11e5 lmmedlately south of
the proposed locatlon. Single famlly homes l~e across Stewart
Stree~ a~ a conSlderable d1stance from the slte.
Spec~al Ccnslderatlons: The Police Department occaslonally uses
the park to train pol~ce dogs and discourages the presence of
other an~mals durlng those perlods.
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Stewart St. Park
Rail Right-of-Way
The Olymp~c corrldor rail rlghc-of-way lS owned by the Los
Angeles County Metropolitan Transportatlon Authorlty (MTA.) A
sectlon of the rlght-of-way west of Bergamot Station between
Cloverfleld and 26th Street could accommodate an of=-leash area.
Dimensions of the area are not currently avallable.
Parklng There 1S no parklng currently avallable near =hlS area
PrOV1Slon for parklng could be made wlthln the rlght-of-way.
Light~ng. Llght~ng would have to be provlded for the area.
Surface The area 18 currently covered with weeds and gravel
Irrigatlon and turf could be lnstalled. The rall tracks would
have to remaln In place.
-
Fenclng: Full perlmeter fencing would be re~ulred.
ReSldentlal Proximlty
There are no resldences ln the area.
Speclal Conslderations: The area does not belong to the C1ty and
w~uld have to be leased from MTA.
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Rail Right-of-Way
Bergamo t Station
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Airport/Clover Park
W~th the planned removal of some alrport bUlldlngs on the
northern s~de of the alrport near the southwest corner of Clover
Payk, ~t may be posslble to extend the park modestly for off-
leash use. The area would be across the street frorr. the Flre
Statlon on 25th Street and adJacent to the emergency entrance to
the alrport at the end of that street. Dlmensions of the area
would depend on design consideratlons.
?arklng: Parklng considerations would be ldentlcal to those
dlscussed above for Clover Park unless provlsion for addltlonal
parklng could be made wlth reconflguratlon of the emergency
entrance.
Llgntlng
Llghtlng would have to be provlded for the area.
Surface- The area 1S paved. The surface would have to be
cie~ol18hed and 1rrlgatlon and turf lnstalled.
Fe~clng. Full perlmeter fenclng would likely be required at this
::i.oca!:lon.
Res~dent1al ?roxlmlty
res,:aences
The area 18 not adJacent to any
Specla~ Cons1derat1ons: The Airport Comrnisslon, FAA and the
C1ty'S Pollce and Flre services would have to be consulted on
th1S use and the design of the area.
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Airport/Clouer Pk. ~1:a1:ion
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ATTACHMENT B
Northwest Alrport Site Proposed by Santa Monica
Dog
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f:atty\muni\laws\mtt\dog2.res
city council Meeting 11-28-95
Santa Monica, California
"
RESOLUTION NO. 8971 (CCS)
(City Council series)
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RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF SANTA MONICA DESIGNATING
OFF-LEASH AREAS
WHEREAS, in October 1993, the City council authorized off-
leash areas in Joslyn and Marine Parks; and
WHEREAS, the Marine Park location has been found unsuitable
for the purpose; and
WHEREAS, it is the council's intention that dog owners be able
to enjoy access to off-leash areas in the City's public parks,
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
DOES RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Resolution Number 8670 (CCS) is hereby repealed in
its entirety.
SECTION 2. The Director of Community and Cultural Services
shall designate a portion of Joslyn Park and a portion of Pacific
Park for off-leash use only during the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 8:30
p.m. on weekdays, and 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on weekends and
holidays.
SECTION 3. The off-leash use at Pacific Park is intended to be
temporary until such time as non-park areas are developed for off-
leash use.
SECTION 4. Dog owners are expected to adhere to ordinances
regarding leashing of dogs when not within a designated off-leash
area, to control their dogs to prevent the commission of nuisances,
to visibly carry the means of removing their dog's fecal matter and
to remove it, and to prevent excessive barking.
SECTION 5. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of
this Resolution, and thenceforth and thereafter the same shall be
in full force and effect.
APPROVED AS TO FORM
J1J~f-A~
~$HA JpijEs MOUTRIE
City Attdrney
'-
Adopted and approved thIs 12th of December, 1995
M~
Mayor
I hereby certIfy that the foregomg Resolution 8971 (CCS) was duly adopted at a meetmg
of the CIty CouncIl held on the 12th of November, 1995 by the followmg vote
Ayes
CouncIl members
Abdo, Genser, Holbrook, O'Connor, Rosenstem
Noes
Councd members
Ebner, Greenberg
Abstam
CouncIl members
None
Absent
CounCIl members
None
ATTEST
<:::::.. .
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CIty Clerk