| By Olin Ericksen
Staff Writer
April 25 -- After years of being shut out from local
dog parks, Los Angeles pet owners may get their first paw-hold
on using Santa Monica off-leash expanses.
With the new opening of Santa Monica's fourth, and largest,
dog-park -- .88 acres at the City's new Airport Park set to
open April 29 -- 15 neighboring dog owners can use the new
facilities as part of pilot program to include Los Angeles
residents, according to Santa Monica City staff.
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| Dog park |
City Council member Bill Rosendahl, who represents residents
in Venice and Mar Vista, will determine who receives the licenses.
Before deferring the decision to Rosendahl, Santa Monica
officials considered designating licenses by zip code, census
tracts and streets.
For years, Santa Monica's three dog parks -- .83 acres at
Joslyn Park, .42 acres at Pacific Street Park and a smaller
dog run at Memorial Park -- could only be used by local residents.
With .2 dogs per household in a City of more than 80,000
residents, Santa Monica officials have said they need to regulate
who uses the parks to avoid over crowding.
"Limiting off-leash areas to Santa Monica licensed dogs
was established to balance the limited amount of off-leash
acreage available in Santa Monica with the popularity of off-leash
areas," City staff wrote in a report to the City Council.
At Airport Park, 45 dogs will be allowed in at one time,
according to City officials, and the City Council will recommend
raising that number to allow more Los Angeles residents to
participate after evaluating the pilot program.
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