Seal Beach staff plans to put up temporary fencing in Zoeter Field, creating an experimental dog park there. The temporary dog park would be located parallel to the outfield fence for two months while Seal Beach staff evaluates the success of the pop-up pooch park.
Since this story appeared in print, the city announced that the pilot project will operate from sunrise to sunset, Sept. 29 to Nov. 29
Staff requested direction from the members of the Recreation and Parks Commission Wednesday night, Sept. 22. The meeting was held after editorial deadline, so details of the meeting were not available.
However, the staff report by Recreation Manager Tim Kelsey, was available and outlined the proposed temporary dog park.
Seal Beach has one dog park, Arbor Park. The city doesn’t own the land, which overlaps both the Joint Forces Training Base and the Navy Golf Course.
The Sun Newspapers reported in October 2019 that the Army Corps of Engineers owns the land.
In any event, Seal Beach apparently has more dogs than one park can serve and that park in turn draws dog owners from other communities as well as this one.
In January 2020, the Commission looked at potential locations for a second dog park in Seal Beach.
The commission identified Zoeter Park or Marina Park as potential sites for another dog park, according to Kelsey’s Sept. 22, 2021, staff report.
During the past year, staff came up with the idea of a pop-up dog park, according to Kelsey’s report.
“The park would have the same features as a permanent dog park; however, the fencing would be temporary in nature and could be removed at a later date,” Kelsey wrote.
“One of the advantages to a pop-up dog park is that it would allow the City to gauge the success and challenges without making a permanent change to the park itself,” Kelsey wrote.
“If the park is successful, the City would have the option to extend the time that the park is set up or seek to invest in transitioning the dog park into a permanent structure,” Kelsey wrote.
“If the park is unsuccessful, the City can choose to remove the fencing and restore the park to its current form,” Kelsey wrote.
“Staff is recommending that the City make a 2-month commitment to the pop-up dog park at Zoeter,” Kelsey wrote.
“Staff will also create a method for residents to report findings regarding the park and create a community survey to be released during this 2-month commitment period,” Kelsey wrote.
