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Council Watch
Dogs run free, but not at the new park at drive-in site
Parks commissioners recommend that park be used for family picnics, jogging and native plants
By Genevieve Roja
Pearl and Maggie might not be happy pooches after last Wednesday's decision by the city's Parks and Recreation Commission. The commission recommended approval of conceptual plan G for the proposed four-acre Winchester Drive-In site park, which does not include an off-leash dog park.
Among the highlighted features in the park is a community garden, barbecue-picnic areas, and a walking-jogging path. Bicycles, skateboards, and rollerblades or skates will be prohibited.
Until the final word is heard from city council regarding the park August 3, Pearl and Maggie, who belong to Shawna Mannheimer, will have to be content running around the fields at Price Middle School.
Mannheimer, who lives on Kathleen Street, always makes sure that Pearl, a Labrador, and Maggie, an Australian shepherd dog, are within her sight.
"It'd be great to have a dog park," said Mannheimer, who also works as a nurse at Dermatology for Animals at 106 E. Campbell Ave. "Dogs can't go to the beach anymore and you can't take them off the leash."
Rita Buxbaum, who sits on the commission and is the owner of four cats, says that many things have to be considered for a Campbell dog park. Odor and noise are two of them.
"I know a lot of pet owners who would need a dog park," Buxbaum said. "On the other hand, there is a community there too. We have to look at other parks, examine them, and speak to park officials to get a better opinion for what we need to do."
Currently, the cities of Campbell, Milpitas, and Mountain View do not have off-leash dog parks. In Palo Alto, there are two dog runs at Mitchell Park on East Meadow Lane and at Greer Park on West Bayshore. In San Jose, there's Miyuki Dog Park on Miyuki Drive north of Santa Theresa Boulevard, where dog lovers can find an exercise area. Las Palmas Park in Sunnyvale is another dog offering, as is the Santa Clara Dog Park on Lochinvar Avenue and Hellyer Park east of Highway 101.
In the proposed plan for Winchester, a multi-use turf area will be available for groups that want to play pick-up softball or baseball. There will also be an interpretive area that will showcase native plants. According to city public works director Bob Kass, the area, with the assistance of the water district, will feature a program showing the importance of watershed management and protecting the water percolation system.
Commissioners made two recommendations to Kass: to install the native plants after the bathrooms had been constructed, and to reduce the size of the bathrooms. Kass will report the findings to city council.
In other business July 7, plans for Virginia Park were finalized by the Parks and Rec commission. Commissioners heard suggestions to add seating, and to look into extending the fence along Virginia Avenue to prevent kids from running into the street.
One neighbor at 430 Virginia Ave. complained to the commission that the play structure intended for older children was tall enough to look into his backyard patio. His comments will be forwarded to city council when they reconvene July 20.
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Campbell, California
