Last time we looked at two of the problems confronting the Parks and Recreation Commission (PRC) as they do their due diligence looking for a good place for a dog zone. Today we’ll discuss the third problem.
THE PURSUIT OF PERFECTION
When the PRC commissioners went scouting for a suitable place to put one or more of the dog zones, they reported back, nearly every one of them, that they couldn’t find the “perfect” place. Chairperson Herrin was the most optimistic, and Commissioners Rosenberg and Manning were downright depressing.
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Hmmm.
A “perfect” place to put a dog zone. Wouldn’t that be nice! So I thought a bit about the dog parks and dog zones I’ve been forced to visit since Lake Forest has nothing for dog owners, and I did a quick inventory of just how “perfect” these places were. Here are my notes –
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Irvine
– Several times a day the parking is too limited and we’re forced to park away from the park on the street.
– The park itself is located in a relatively isolated part of the city, making it inconvenient for just about everyone to get there.
– The park is located right next to a waste disposal area which can’t be good for our health and the health of the dogs.
– The park abuts the railroad tracks and the speeding trains can be a distraction and annoyance.
Laguna Niguel
- The parking is a long way from the park.
- The park abuts a wildlife area where there are coyotes and who knows what else.
- The walk from the parking area to the park goes through an isolated area that appears to be unsafe.
- The park itself has too much dirt and too little grass, and at times it can be very muddy.
Laguna Beach
- There is no dedicated parking for the dog park, so you have to park on a busy street.
- There really aren’t enough parking spots for the park visitors, so you often have to walk a long way to get to the park.
- The park abuts a wildlife area where there are coyotes and who knows what else.
- Large and small dogs are in the same area, offering potential problems for the small dogs.
Laguna Woods
- The park is really too small for large dogs.
- The artificial turf doesn’t absorb feces and urine well.
- The artificial turf can absorb heat and on hot days it can hurt the dog’s feet.
- Parking is limited, and when the “parking lot” is full there isn’t anywhere else to park.
I could go on, but by now you should get the point. There is no “perfect” place to put a dog park or a dog zone. In fact, there is no “perfect” place to put just about anything. Witness the recent brouhaha over the El Toro stadium, the maximum security cells in Musick Jail, the soccer arena at Whispering Hills, etc.
The PRC commissioners need to give up the illusion of being “perfect” and “doing it right” and accept what every other City knows to be true - nothing is perfect so we’ll do the best we can for our citizens, and try to maximize the positives and reduce the negatives.
Next time we’ll visit some of the parks and look at their suitability for hosting a dog zone. The 5 parks are: Pittsford, Vintage, Darrin, Regency and Borrego
