Rancho Palos Verdes: Dog park meeting Tuesday

Supporters of an effort to establish a fenced-in, off-leash dog park are being asked to attend Tuesday night's (Nov. 17) Rancho Palos Verdes City Council meeting -- 7 p.m. at Fred Hesse Community Park, 29301 Hawthorne Blvd., Rancho Palos Verdes.

We've been following this campaign for the past year now (click here to read our previous posts on the issue).

Up to now, there has been a focus on using a portion of the Palos Verdes Landfill area on Hawthorne Boulevard just north of Palos Verdes Drive North, which is county land in Rolling Hills Estates.

But while that's still being pursued, the city of Rancho Palos Verdes on its own has been actively courting the idea of putting a dog park at one of its existing parks as well with support from the Megowans and others. This now appears to be on a faster track with backing from the city's mayor who is slated to give an oral presentation on the concept of a dog park as part of the Tuesday night agenda.

At 7 p.m. Tuesday, the RPV City Council will review a 30-page staff report outlining proposed improvements recommended for both Grandview Park and lower Hesse Park.

A dog park has been included for both as a possibility along with other uses -- such as tennis and basketball courts, picnic facilities and trails -- that I gather would co-exist at one or both sites in any variety of mixes. 

Grandview takes in 18 acres of land on Montemalaga Drive near Hawthorne Boulevard; Lower Hesse (29301 Hawthorne Blvd.) also offers 18 acres.

But a dog park in either location won't be easy. Homeowners near both parks already have expressed concerns if not outright opposition.

From the Grandview Park Homeowners' Association: "If you put in a dog park, it will deter the natural wildlife."

The homeowners' association near Lower Hesse is recommending against a dog park there, saying that "people will come from all over the South Bay to use it." Another quote from the group: "The doggie park has a really high potential to create a noise, traffic, parking and visual nuisance in our neighborhood."

Bruce and Maureen Megowan, who launched the Peninsula dog park effort last year, are asking supporters to attend the RPV meeting. (There's another meeting at the same time on Tuesday night in RHE where a dog park is slated for discussion as well. But in their latest email the Megowans are are urging people to attend the RPV City Council meeting instead.)

From the Megowans' latest letter:

Mayor Larry Clark, in support of our previous presentations to the city council for a dog park on the Peninsula, has been instrumental in proposing a dog park at these two locations and has requested that as many dog park supporters as possible attend this meeting to show community support for the dog park component of these plans

Questions? Call the Megowans at 310-541-2980 or email them at either mmegowan@cox.net or bmegowan@cox.net.