Recently in Palos Verdes dog park Category

Bruce and Maureen Megowan will be speaking to the Rolling Hills Estates City Council members tonight regarding the establishment of a fenced-in, off-leash dog park on the Peninsula.

They're encouraging supporters to show up (on time), fill out a speaker's card and give it to the City Clerk so they can speak in favor of the proposal. It's on the agenda under audience items so that means it'll come up at the beginning of the meeting.

Here are the details:

When: 7:30 p.m. tonight (Tuesday, Feb. 9)

Where: RHE City Council Chambers, 4045 Palos Verdes Drive North, Rolling Hills Estates

Information: Maureen Megowan, 310-541-6416.  

For background, read this November 2009 Daily Breeze story

We received this today from Maureen Megowan, who along with her husband, Bruce, has been trying to establish a fenced-in, off-leash dog park somewhere on the Palos Verdes Peninsula:

Tomorrow evening, Tuesday January 5th, the Parks and Activities Commission of the City of Rolling Hills Estates will be holding their regular meeting at which my husband and I will be speaking regarding our proposal for a dog park at the former Palos Verdes Landfill site.  The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Rolling Hills City Hall at 4045 PALOS VERDES DRIVE NORTH  (just west of Crenshaw Boulevard ) , and this item is first on their agenda.

It would be very helpful if we could have as many dog park supporters as possible at this meeting, particularly Rolling Hills Estates residents.  Even if you do not live in Rolling Hills Estates, your participation at this meeting would be very helpful.  If you  would like to speak to this matter, please fill out a speakers request form when you arrive at the meeting. I woould encourage you to speak up and let the commission know of the support in the community for an off leash dog park.

Questions? Maureen can be reached at 310-541-6416.

See this Daily Breeze story for background.

Don't miss reporter Melissa Pamer's story today in the Daily Breeze about Bruce and Maureen Megowan's efforts to establish a dog park on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

Their inspiration? Pepper, who spun in circles when Melissa arrived to interview them at their home:

 

 

From the article:

Knock on the door of the Palos Verdes Estates home of Bruce and Maureen Megowan and you will be greeted with nonstop wiggling, whining, jumping and rolling over.

This irrepressible display of enthusiasm comes from Pepper, the couple's 4-year-old miniature Australian shepherd, who cannot be calmed by soothing entreaties from the Megowans or even by a visitor's embrace.

"You can see why we need a dog park. She has a lot of nervous energy," said Bruce Megown.

 

Read the rest of the story on the Daily Breeze Web site.

Photo by Steve McCrank/Daily Breeze staff photographer.

Read our earlier posts on the topic.

Here's also an interesting map by DB staff artist Paul Penzella on where local dog parks exist (the park at the bottom of Knoll Hill is temporary only; while there are no immediate plans to close it, the park is small -- under 1 acre -- and there has yet to be a permanent alternative location established in San Pedro ):

So here's some update info on last night's trio of meetings regarding dog- and park-related issues in the South Bay:

• Redondo Beach: Dog owners probably face an uphill battle to get the City Council there to overturn or relax a longtime ban on canines in that city's parks, according to a post this morning on the Daily Breeze Pipeline blog by Kristin Agostoni, our reporter who covered the meeting. Discussion was in response to two petitions calling for a change to the 1979 city ordinance that forbids dogs (leashed or otherwise) in municipal parks other than the designated off-leash dog park on Flagler & 190th. Councilman Bill Brand and Mayor Mike Gin raised the matter which now goes to the the city's Parks and Recreation Commission after a 4-1 vote moving it forward for more study last night. Commissioners will consider changing the rule for Czuleger Park only for now, perhaps as a pilot? But opposition remains strong to changing the citywide law, with Councilman Steve Aspel saying this: "Someone's leaving a thousand turds a day on top of the Esplanade. Ask our public works department." And there was this from Councilman Pat Aust, who cast the only dissenting vote:  "Parks are for people and kids. Zoos are for animals." **********(Read Kristin's follow-up story in Thursday's Daily Breeze.)
• Manhattan Beach: Council members there voted 4-1 to approve (with changes to the original proposal) an $18,200 off-leash dog run at Polliwog Park. It would be the city's third such spot, following similar set-ups at Live Oak and Marine Avenue parks.
• Rancho Palos Verdes: Bruce and Maureen Megowan report a generally positive response to proposals for dog parks at Lower Hesse Park and/or Grandview Park at last night's RPV City Council meeting. (See the full report and recap on Maureen Megowan's blog.) Council members authorized spending $50,000 to hire a designer to flesh out the proposed park designs (which  include other elements besides a dog park), but they stressed that this was only a "first step" and not a commitment to impelment the designs. The Megowans also raised questions about the proposed size of the dog parks (relatively small as drawn, I gather), adding that research shows the most successful (and safest) parks include at least 3 acres -- 2 acres for large dogs and 1 acre for a separate small dog space. There are still homeowner objections to address, however, and none of this will probably be a slam dunk. But other cities on The Hill reportedly are  entertaining proposals to establish a dog park as well, according to the Megowans. (Two suggested dog park sites were turned down by Rolling Hills Estates at a meeting this week, though, I'm told. But discussions continue on the possibility of using part of the PV Landfill area in that city.)

Email mmegowan@cox.net for more information.  

So, nothing firm on any of these proposals yet, but stay tuned.

As reported in the Daily Breeze (shameless plug, you really should get a subscription if you don't already have one), three meetings tonight could give dogs more park space in our local cities:

• Redondo Beach City Council, in response to a citizens' petition, will start talks about allowing leashed dogs in Czulegar Park. City codes currently prohibit canines (leashed or otherwise) in all RB parks, with the exception of the designated off-leash dog park adjacent to Dominguez Park. If the council agrees, the issue would likely go to the Parks and Recreation Commission for review. Tonight's meeting is at 6 p.m. at 415 Diamond St. (Streaming video of the meeting is available from the city's Web site.)
• Manhattan Beach leaders will consider an off-leash dog run for sprawling Polliwog Park. If approved, the $18,200 run would be the city's third such spot, following similar set-ups at Live Oak and Marine Avenue parks. Tonight's meeting is at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall, 1400 Highland Ave. (Go to the city's Web site for information on how to view the meeting via cable or computer.)
• Rancho Palos Verdes City Council will weigh plans for improvements at Grandview Park and Lower Hesse Park, with both proposals including a possible fenced-in, off-leash dog park. (See our separate post below  for more details.) Mayor Larry Clark also will give a presentation on the need for a dog park on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The meeting is at 7 p.m. at Fred Hesse Community Park, 29301 Hawthorne Blvd. (You can also view a broadcast of the meeting on the city's Web site.)

If you live in these areas and care about the issue, you might want to attend one of the meetings in person to lend your voice to the discussion in public comment. And let us know if you attended any of the sessions. We'll have follows on the outcome of the meetings in the Daily Breeze.

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.

We received an update from Maureen and Bruce Megowan recently about their ongoing efforts to establish an off-leash dog park in one of the four cities on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

The couple will attend the PVE City Council meeting this week -- at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday (Nov. 10) -- to discuss the petition drive and ask the city council to put the issue of supporting a dog park on the Hill on their next agenda.

From the letter we received:

The members of the City Council have made it clear that there is no where within the city limits of Palos Verdes Estates that they believe would be acceptable to locate a dog park, but (they) are willing to work with the other cities on the Peninsula to build a dog park somewhere on the Peninsula. My husband Bruce and I will be speaking at the very beginning of the meeting when the public can speak on anything not on the agenda.

And perhaps even most encouraging:

They spoke at the Rolling Hills Estates City Council meeting in October and Maureen reports that the council there "was very supportive of the concept of a dog park in their city limits. The parks and recreation committee of the city will be holding a meeting at City Hall on Tuesday night 11/17 to discuss potential sites within their city for a dog park. Bruce will be attending this meeting."

Anyone interested in attending either of these meetings to lend some moral support is welcome.

Meanwhile, the city of Rancho Palos Verdes also continues to review potential sites within that city for a possible dog park.

So it looks like some real progress is being made.

For more, go to the Megowans' web site.

You can also email them at mmegowan@cox.net or bmegowan@cox.net or call them at 310-541-2980. If you'd like regular updates, you can subscribe to their email service.

Read earlier posts about efforts to develop a dog park on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

Time to catch up on that ongoing effort by Bruce and Maureen Megowan to establish an off-leash dog park on the former Palos Verdes landfill site between Hawthorne and Crenshaw boulevards, north of Palos Verdes Drive North. (Here's a recent report  on the landfill parcel for background.) An aerial view of the property is shown below.

The Megowans have collected 814 petition signatures that they plan to formally present at several upcoming city council meetings on "The Hill," which is where supporters come in. They're asking that they have good turnouts for the meetings to show support for the idea. The park would be designed to serve all four of the cities on the Peninsula.

Here's the schedule of meetings:

• Rolling Hills City Council, 2 Portuguese Bend Road, 7:30 p.m. Monday -- Sept. 14
• Rancho Palos Verdes City Council, Fred Hesse Park Multipurpose room, 7 p.m. Tuesday -- Sept. 15
• Rolling Hills Estates City Council, 4045 Palos Verdes Drive North (northwest corner at Crenshaw Boulevard), 7:30 p.m. Sept. 22 (a Tuesday)
• Palos Verdes Estates City Council, 340 Palos Verdes Drive West, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 13 (a Tuesday)

From the email they sent out this week urging supporters to attend the council meetings:

"This will probably be our best chance to build support for this effort. This email is being sent to over 500 of those who signed the petition and gave us their email addresses, so we hope to see a large turnout at each of the city council meetings. City council members only understand what they see at their meetings, so a large crowd in support of this idea is important."

Questions? You can reach Bruce and Maureen at 310-541-2980 or be added to their email list by contacting them at mmegowan@cox.net.

Here are more posts  we've done on the Palos Verdes dog park issue. Bruce first announced a launch of this movement more than a year ago. We posted about it back then for the first time.  He was motivated by his miniature Australian shepherd, Pepper (shown below).

You can read the Megowans' most recent message to supporters in full on the jump along with email addresses of city officials if you want to contact them about establishing the dog park.

I have heard that some people active in the equestrian community might have concerns about putting a dog park in this location, but I don't know the specifics. Anyone have any more details on that? Others may also question the safety of the soil on the property (see this April 2009 Daily Breeze article by Melissa Pamer on this topic.)  

Any strong opinions out there, either way?

A 5th grade student at Cornerstone Elementary School in Rancho Palos Verdes has contacted Bruce and Maureen Megowan with an offer to help establish a dog park in Palos Verdes Estates.

         "We are currently doing a community project called Project Citizen," the student wrote. "I have 15 students in my group and we have decided to research and propose getting a dog park in PVE. ... We called PVE and they told us if we got a petition going of at least 100 names they would consider our proposal. We are currently in the process of collecting these names. ... Here's to all the pooches out there that need socialization, exercise and a good time!!"

The Megowans have been trying to get a fenced-in, off-leash dog park somewhere on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, with the idea that it would serve all four cities on "The Hill" (Rancho Palos Verdes, Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills Estates, and Rolling Hills).

Their latest idea is for the County of Los Angeles to dedicate several acres of the former Palos Verdes Landfill area between Hawthorne and Crenshaw boulevards, just north of Palos Verdes Drive North.

From Bruce Megowan's reply to the youngster:

I think that it is wonderful that you and your friends are willing to help out getting a dog park built on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. ... We are now trying to get the city managers of the four cities on the Peninsula to use their political muscle to encourage the county to build a dog park due to the tremendous need for one in our area.

The only other locations of a dog park near us are in Redondo Beach (190th and Flagler) and the Knoll Hill area of San Pedro, both at least a 20-minute car trip. The San Pedro dog park is on Port of Los Angeles land on a temporary basis and they have also been unsuccessful in finding a permanent home in San Pedro.

It would be tremendously helpful if you could circulate a petition to construct a dog park on the former Palos Verdes Landfill site. ... I have been building an email database of dog park supporters and getting other supporter emails that will help us get the word out when there are government meetings to attend ... "

At least one person I know has raised questions about the safety of the landfill site as a dog park location. The property has been the subject of a number of articles in the Daily Breeze. Tests have cleared the site as being safe for people uses, but a number of citizens continue to question those findings.

Again, if you would like to pitch in -- or at least stay informed about the progress of the PV dog park effort -- send an email to Bruce at bmegowan@cox.net to get on his list of contacts. And be sure to check with him if you want to help circulate petitions as there are some specific guildelines you'll need to follow.

***Update: The Megowans reported that the meeting went well and they're encouraged about the prospects for a dog park to serve the peninsula. They are now doing some research on dog parks in general and are also looking to create a Web site.

If you can help, email Bruce Megowan at bmegowan@cox.net.

Bruce and Maureen Megowan, who have been spearheading the move, wanted us to let readers know they'll be raising the issue again at a community forum at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday (5/5) night.

The couple are focusing on the former Palos Verdes landfill site off of Crenshaw Boulevard as a potential location and have spoken to county officials who have been soliciting ideas for the property.

There are no dog parks on the "hill" and the new park would be designed to serve residents of all three municipalities in PV.

"We believe that it is important that all of the Peninsula cities actively promote this idea of a Peninsula off-leash dog park to the county," Marueen wrote to me in an email. "The major advantage of this proposed use is that it would not distrub the landfill material below the top soil of the property."

So if you like this idea, show up and speak up. The meeting will be in the council chambers at the Palos Verdes Estates City Hall, 340 Palos Verdes Drive West.

The forum is being hosted by Palos Verdes Estates Mayor Ellen Perkins and Rosemary Humphrey, mayor pro tem, as a way to give residents an opportunity to bring up issues of concern at an informal question-and-answer session.