The Orange County Register

Dog park friends, foes face off at City Council 

June 6, 2002 

By CHARLES ADAMSON
Orange City News 

There is a face-off planned between members of the public over what to
do with Yorba Park at the City Council meeting on June 6.

Neighbors want Yorba Park, at Yorba Street and Chapman Avenue, to be a 
community park with barbecue grills and softball fields.

Orange Dog Park Association members want all that, plus a bark park similar 
to what's in Costa Mesa and Irvine, a fenced grass area where dogs are
allowed to run free of a leash.

The City Council promised a dog park in August 2000, the last general 
election year, and now almost two years later in another election year,
patience is wearing thin.

Proponents formed the Orange Dog Park Association, a nonprofit corporation,
and raised $27,000.

The money sits in the bank waiting for a site to spend it on.

"People are getting very agitated about this. We have been very patient,"
said the association's co-founder Rick Cryder. "Are they going to make a 
decision before the election this year or are they just going to blow 
it off? They need to take a stand one way or another."

Neighbors said they don't oppose a dog park, but that it shouldn't be 
in a residential area.

They worry about odors, traffic, dog feces on their lawns and flies.

"This is a completely inappropriate place for a dog park," said Burley 
Avenue resident Mary Dargatz.

Community Services Manager Gabe Garcia said the environmental impact 
reports for the site are already under county review and should be 
before council in September.

Then the council can allocate money for the park.

He estimated it would cost $50,000 for fencing, the bare minimum 
necessary to open a dog park.

The complete plan for the park includes two lighted softball fields, 
new restrooms, a new parking lot, added landscaping, a dog park, and a 
non-dog area with barbecue grills, a tot-lot and walkways.

That plan would cost about $1.6 million.

Of the city's 18 parks, Yorba scored medium to low on the list of 
priorities from park planning commissioners.

The council is still undecided.

The city budget has been shrinking the last two years due to flat sales 
tax revenues and the threat of losing state revenues.

That will almost certainly rule out a $1.6 million expenditure needed 
for all the proposals.

But City Councilman Dan Slater, a Yorba dog park supporter, said he's 
willing to spend up to $70,000 for the fences.

Residents balk at the idea.

"To hell with the neighbors basically is what he is saying," said 
Dargatz of Slater's plans.

She is a former campaign worker for the councilman.

If the park isn't built, Cryder said proponents are planning a protest
march.

"I know that patience is wearing thin on behalf of the proponents and 
I don't blame them," Slater said.

Councilwoman Carolyn Cavecche said she is losing sleep over the issue 
and still hasn't decided what to do.

Financing it worries her.

She said she wants a dog park, but wasn't on council when the promises
were made and that there are several other parks high on her list of 
priorities for financing including Grijalva, El Camino, Cerro Villa 
and Eisenhower.

"As a homeowner, I understand some of (the neighbors') concerns," 
Cavecche said. "I would like there to be a dog park somewhere in the 
city and I would like it to be decided soon."

Something must be done with Yorba Park, she said, calling the empty 
grass lot an "embarrassment."

"I'm not anti-dog park by any stretch. I have a dog. I want there to 
be a dog park. I just have to look at the city's finances," Cavecche 
said. "I don't believe throwing a fence up is a legitimate alternative."

"I wish we could come up with some kind of compromise, which is why I 
am looking for an alternative site," Cavecche said.

She said she has talked with officials from the Southern California 
Edison Company, the Irvine Company and the Orange County Water 
District, looking for dog park land.


The Council meets at 5:30 p.m. in the Weimer Room in City Hall. 
Information: (714) 744-5505. 

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