Not much progress was made at Tuesday
’s Parks and Recreation Commission meeting on dog parks, or
interim senior and youth centers. But it wasn’t for lack of trying.
Lack of money was a problem too.
Not much progress was made at Tuesday’s Parks and Recreation Commission meeting on dog parks, or interim senior and youth centers. But it wasn’t for lack of trying. Lack of money was a problem too.
A consortium of dog owners, desperate for a legitimate place to exercise their animals, has been urging the city for months to reserve part of an existing park or find a new site that would be safe and appropriate. The dog fans currently use Nordstrom Park after dark, a habit that frequently puts them in conflict with the police department since dogs running off-leash in city parks is illegal.
The city and the PRC have been working on finding a solution, helped by the dog owners, and have looked at the PG&E property along West Main Avenue at Hale Avenue, fencing off part of Community Park, helping the county develop dog parks at Bear Ranch in San Martin and Malaguerra in Morgan Hill and at several retention pond areas around town. The PG&E site was clearly the favorite with Malaguerra second. The Community Park idea was shot down.
“We directed staff to pursue talking with PG&E,” said Don Jensen, a PRC commissioner. “It’s being looked at in a very positive light.”
Jensen said the site needs work, including lighting, fencing for separate big dog and small dog areas, a self-closing gate and sodding.
“The expenses are really getting up there,” Jensen said, estimating development would take $200,000 to $300,000. He was pessimistic about the local dog group being able to raise so much. In an ideal situation, Jensen said, one-half the park should remain ‘at rest’ to allow the dog-related salts to leach out, keeping the grass healthy.
Gloria Zufall, a dog owner with a stake in the park, attended the meeting and is pleased that the city will continue to work with PG&E on the Main Avenue site and with the county on the Malaguerra site.
Mori Struve, deputy director of Public Works/Operations, told Zufall in an e-mail that he might not be able to submit a proposal to PG&E without first getting City Council approval.
Jensen said some objections to Malaguerra and Bear Ranch as dog parks revolve around safety issues. Both areas are sufficiently rural to share space with snakes, ticks and mountain lions – no friends to dogs. Both areas are also a distance from the center of town and, as such, would not be as convenient for frequent use.
Jensen said interim use of retention ponds is also being studied though he would prefer going for a permanent solution.
“Interim solutions have a way of becoming permanent,” Jensen said.
“The dog park people have been amazingly patient,” Jensen said. Still, he said, there is a huge amount of unknowns and no money available now or in the future.
Jensen said he suggested that the issue not be brought back to the PRC until there is enough information “to compare apples to apples, since it will take about six months to hear back from PG&E.” Guessing, he said, is not useful.
SR/YOUTH CENTERS
The PRC also discussed opening an interim senior and youth center in the closed bowling alley on Vineyard Avenue. Permanent centers will not be ready until the indoor recreation center on Edmundson Avenue is completed in the summer of 2006.
Seniors currently hang out at the Friendly Inn on Crest Avenue, home of the senior lunch program. Except for El Toro Youth Center, also on Crest, Morgan Hill youngsters don’t have a regular, unstructured place to meet aside from planned events at the community center.
As the meeting progressed, Jensen said that difficulties with the bowling alley site emerged.
“There is an existing bar still functioning in the bowling alley that would probably nix the deal,” Jensen said.
Cinelux, the company that bought and is renovating the old Cinema 6 theaters, also at Tennant Station, is storing equipment in the alley space.
“It’s unknown whether the theater could relocate their storage,” Jensen said. “They might be able to move the equipment to the old billiard parlor.”
On the plus side, Jensen said two bowling lanes might still function.
Jensen said the PRC investigated using the Friendly Inn as an interim youth center.
Most of the Friendly Inn space is rented by the city to the YMCA for $1 a year, for its programs.
