Citing ongoing issues with soil erosion and water contamination that have drawn the attention of the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board, city councilmembers on Monday night said they supported the permanent closure of Linda Park off-leash dog park. A second reading of the proposal is tentatively scheduled for April 21.
The city said the Water Board complaint was driving the need for the Council’s immediate consideration at the Monday meeting.
City staff developed three options for the Council to consider:
–Immediately and permanently close the Area and hydroseed the landscape
–Develop and implement capital improvements that include extended closure of the Area and significant regrading and infrastructure upgrades efforts
–Take no action and risk enforcement and penalties
The city said that on Feb. 6 the city was notified by the Water Board of a citizen complaint pertaining to the area. The complaint raised concerns about pollutants from soil erosion and animal excrement washing down from the park into the city’s stormwater system. The Water Board said on March 3 that despite the city’s efforts to minimize contamination, they were insufficient to address the problems at the site, and requested a more detailed analysis of next steops and “submit a more detailed analysis of next steps and long term appropriate BMPs and/or control measures the city is looking to install at the dog park…” The city’s memo said Piedmont would respond to the Water Board by Wednesday, April 9.
To allow for continued future use of the site as an off-leash area, “we would need to make capital improvements to the property in order to comply,” said City Manager Rosanna Bayon Moore, who noted that the city does not have any money allocated for this purpose.
“This sloped area was never suitable to be used for an off-leash area,” said McCarthy, who noted the ongoing problems with the site that have caused temporary closures during heavy rains. Public Works Director Daniel Gonzalez said in recent years the park is roughly closed about half the time during the winter.
“This is not the last conversation,” said Mayor Betsy Smegal Andersen. Councilmembers said the correspondence they received on the matter ran the gamut from asking for consideration of an alternative site for a fenced-in off-leash dog area, support for the closure, and support for making modifications to the existing site.