A new dog park is slated for Coronado, and some residents are howling at the idea.
During the upcoming Coronado City Council meeting scheduled Tuesday, council members are expected to adopt a resolution that would allow 0.28 acres of Coronado Unified School District property to be used exclusively for a fenced-in dog park at an annual cost of $60,000 to the city.
The property is located next to the school district office at 201 Sixth Street. The dog park initiative would be an amendment to an existing facilities use agreement between the city and school district.
While local dogs and their owners may be celebrating a new pup park on the island, some residents are barking back.
Emily Foster told 10News that a dog park would be unsanitary. “We’re concerned about run-off through the shared sprinkler system of animal waste,” Foster said. “We’re concerned about fleas and ticks.”
Foster is a mother of three small children who lives across the street from the property, according to 10News.
Despite Foster’s objections, the off-leash dog park is likely to move forward: The school board approved the facilities use agreement amendment at its Aug. 16 meeting, according to city documents.
Meanwhile, city council has directed that the annual $60,000 payment to the district, and the use of the site, be for a one-year trial period, the documents show. The costs to improve the property with a vinyl-coated chain-link fence, gates, signs, doggie-waste bags and dispenser, trash and a water station could be as high as $30,000, according to the documents.
Improvements to the site will be undertaken “as soon as reasonable upon city council approval,” city documents show.
Holidais Moreira told 10News she has been a supporter of the dog park initiative.
“Every park allows children. Not every [one] allows dogs,” Moreira said. “As a resident and a taxpayer, I see no reason why those of us who have dogs, should not have the same rights as the other people who have kids and think those parks should be only reserved for children.”
–Toni McAllister
