SCNA Board Takes Vote on Dog Park at Sierra 2
On August 2, 2023, the SCNA voted to Oppose the City's Option 1, a Dog Park at Sierra 2. It was not unanimous approval nor was the vote scheduled on the agenda, which stated "no action items" for this meeting. Some members suggested that the vote was premature and many members abstained. Not all board members were present, as many were on vacation.
The unplanned vote was taken after the board briefly discussed their impressions and takeaways from the Sierra 2 Open House and the SCNA Listening Session. The vote was also taken in advance of the release of the City Open House results.
No visiting SCNA members in the Zoom room were allowed to contribute to the discussion.
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Word from the city:
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Rob Sofio, a Common Ground member, sent a great email with a picture of his Common Ground sign and some pictures of various DOLAs, challenging the city to update and expand its definition of what a dog park can be. Rob doesn't own a dog, but he enjoys visiting the park to meet his neighbors, pet owners and their dogs. After some prompting for a response from the City, Robert received the following response from Dennis Rogers, the Councilmember Rick Jennings' Chief of Staff:
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“The open house was the first of many discussions and was not a final or a binding vote. It was to learn and hear opinions about various alternatives. We have received additional suggestions and will be evaluating those as well.”
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So....Despite the SCNA vote, the decision regarding off-leash dogs at Sierra 2 is not over. We have yet to hear the City’s Open House results and per Dennis Roger’s comment, there will be further opportunities beyond the Open House to seek common ground.
Keep those signs up! And we still have more signs if neighbors are interested!
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And in the "is this a joke?" category:
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We were astonished that several board members thought a good solution would be to arrange a shuttle bus to take people and their dogs to Partner Park near Belle Coolidge where they could stay for a few hours before riding home. "Like paratransit," they said.
Um....Really?
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Maybe this would be a good vehicle for the project. Probably fuel-efficient too.
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Now...where did I leave my wine glass?
