Off-leash dog park back on Poway council agenda
The Poway City Council on Tuesday night will decide whether to proceed with a six-month test period allowing off-leash dogs at Silverset Park.
If approved, the test period will begin on July 13. Gates would be installed at a softball field at the park and dogs would be permitted to run free on the field during designated hours.
During the trial period the city would collect environment information, such as the potential heath hazards related to dog waste and possible impacts of the dog use on noise and parking. The city will pay an environmental consultant $29,000 to gather the data and will spend $2,000 on the gates.
The plan calls for the field to be used for dogs between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. Mondays through Fridays.
Whether dogs should be allowed to run free at the park has been the subject of several sometimes-contentious council meetings over the past two years, with Rancho Arbolitos neighbors appearing to be bitterly split over the idea. Dog owners took their animals off leash at the park for about 15 years until the city cracked down on the practice.
Opponents say they feel that dogs using the field would present a potential health hazard to young softball players, that there is an excellent city-run dog park only two miles away, and that allowing off-leash dogs will set a precedent for other neighborhood parks in the city.
Off-leash supporters point to the long, trouble-free history of dogs running loose in the park and say the practice strengthens bonds between neighbors. They have vowed to police the field for dog waste.
The topic took up an hour of speaking time in March, after which the council informally agreed to try out the idea for six months. Councilman John Mullin was opposed.
Over 80 pages of written comments from neighbors, both pro and con, have been included in a staff report on Tuesday night’s agenda item.
The meeting will begin a 7 p.m. in the city council chambers, 13325 Civic Center Drive. It will be streamed live on www.poway.org and taped for later broadcast on local cable systems.
Other agenda items include:
• The proposed creation of the new position of conservation administrator. The employee would oversee the city’s water and energy conservation efforts. The job would pay between $76,600 and $88,248 annually.
• A request to proceed with the refunding of callable tax-exempt redevelopment bonds to take advantage of lower interest rates. Annual savings to the city are projected to be $400,000 through 2033.
• Discussion with City Manager Dan Singer on possible tools the city could use to encourage consumer compliance with the state-mandated 32 percent reduction in water use.
• A request from Mullins that the city explore the possibility of working with Villa de Vida, non-profit organization, and Mercy Housing California in the development of 3.1 city-owned acres at 12341 Oak Knoll Road into affordable housing for developmentally disabled adults.
