New dog park to be on proposed city budget

File photo

Money for a new, permanent dog park at the Zoeter Park will be on the proposed budget for 2022-23, according to a staff report to the Recreation and Parks Commission.

Seal Beach currently has just one dog park, Arbor Park. As previously reported the city doesn’t own the land for Arbor Park. The land overlaps both the Joint Forces Training Base and the Navy Golf Course.

The commission was scheduled to receive and file the report on the dog park project at the commission’s Wednesday, March 23, meeting. Details were not available as the meeting was held after the Sun’s editorial deadline.

“On January 22, 2020, the Recreation and Parks Commission discussed the addition of a dog park to the City’s park system,” according to the staff report from Recreation Manager Tim Kelsey.

“Shortly following the Commission meeting of September 22, 2021, staff installed temporary fencing at Zoeter Park to establish the pop-up dog park,” Kelsey wrote.

“Staff also established a dedicated email address to receive comments from public regarding the dog park and posted signage asking the public to please provide feedback,” Kelsey wrote.

“At this time, staff has received hundreds of emails from the public regarding the pop-up dog park at Zoeter Park. Most of the emails have been positive and supportive of the park feature,” Kelsey wrote.

“Due to the feedback received, staff obtained an estimate to permanently fence the dog park, and is including the cost estimate as a part of the annul budget process for fiscal year 2022-23,” Kelsey wrote.

According to Kelsey’s report, the council will hold budget workshops on May 19 and May 26.

The budget is scheduled to be approved on June 19.

“Going forward, if the item is approved in the budget, staff will work with the Commission to help define the project in detail prior [to] going out to public bid to construct the park,” Kelsey wrote.