Dog Park Vote Surprises Homeowners

The council’s 3-2 vote on Oct. 5 to build a dog park in Oso Viejo Park took many people by surprise. Residents who live near the site were particularly surprised. Another agenda item – not the dog park supporters – appeared to be the driving force behind the quick decision following many years of inaction on a dog park. The other item on the agenda was the Certification of Petition for the Recall of Council Member Lance MacLean.

Dog park supporters gathered signatures on an informal petition while recall volunteers worked at storefronts. Several times, the two groups worked alongside each other. While the dog park group gathered 1,100 signatures, the recall supporters got nearly 14,000. Apparently, MacLean believes he just bought 1,100 votes (cost to taxpayers: $258,000) to save his seat in the recall election. However, many people signed both petitions.

Homeowners who live near the dog-park site made public comments before the council voted. Each one begged the council not to put a dog park near their homes. The council had previously directed the city staff to consider sites that wouldn’t be in a city park or near schools or homes. The Oso Viejo Park location fails to meet any of the three criteria.

Some residents have suggested that an area adjacent to the animal shelter is the best spot for a dog park because no homes are nearby. The city staff sided with animal shelter workers who said barking dogs outside the shelter would disturb dogs inside the shelter. On Oct. 5, the council majority of MacLean, Ury and Kelley ignored concerns about noise disturbing homeowners (as well as concerns about safety, maintenance, cleanup, costs, parking, overcrowding of the area, property values and incompatible park uses).

Not only were homeowners ignored – none of them even received notice of the agenda item – the council majority also bypassed the Community Services Commission, which was evaluating the need for a dog park and possible locations that wouldn’t impact homeowners. The commission’s schedule for next week includes discussing a dog park.

Mission Viejo resident Larry Gilbert posted a story about the dog park on a county blog, OrangeJuiceBlog.com, referring to the process as agenda manipulation: http://orangejuiceblog.com/2009/10/agenda-manipulation-to-support-mission-viejo-councilman-lance-maclean/

A homeowner who lives near Oso Viejo Park gave her reaction to Gilbert’s post: “I am thoroughly disgusted with the City Council and I have only lived here for 4 months. It took us a 9-month fight to buy our home in a short sale, and one of the things that specifically attracted us to it was the location…above Oso Viejo Park. We learned from the OC Register the day of the meeting that this vote was going to take place. There was NO NOTIFICATION to any affected homeowners of the vote. Most of them had no idea this was going on and are outraged.”