SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sierra 2 Park in the Curtis Park neighborhood of Sacramento became a popular spot at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic for off-leash dogs and their owners to roam free.
But with great attendance comes great attention. Neighbors raised several concerns over the safety of children being among off-leash dogs as well as the nuisance of dogs barking.
City officials soon announced the Sierra 2 Park would require dog owners to use leashes.
A recent neighborhood survey from city officials showed a majority (53%) of nearby residents want to use the area as a dog park, while another 20% use it for the attached playground.
The survey results prompted City Parks & Community Enrichment to fence-off about one-third of the park in April specifically for off-leash dog use, meaning off-leash dogs are now separated from the outer field and the playground.
The new dog park even came installed with the necessary double-gate system required at all Sacramento dog parks.
Although the dog park's configuration is only temporary, city officials plan to gather feedback July 19 to help determine whether or not a dog park will stay at the Sierra 2 Park.
Annie Linton has lived near the park since 2017. She says large vocal support from off-leash dog users is overshadowing all other opposing views.
Along with endless barking coming from the park, she's worried it's only a matter of time before a child is injured by an off-leash dog.
She says the city-sponsored survey is not representative of American households since 75% of the surveyed residents are dog-owners. The American Pet Products Association recently reported 66% of American households own at least one pet.
"These dogs are huge that run around out there, especially relative to little kids, they can get knocked down and jumped on," said Linton. "That's been sad for us as a family, seeing that fear develop in our kids."
Should a dog park be here to stay?
A handful of dogs and their owners lounged at the enclosed dog park Thursday morning. Curtis Park resident Michael Oates was there playing fetch with his pet.
He says for decades neighbors were allowed to unleash their dogs at the entire park before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m. The hours would be reduced during soccer season when teams had reservations.
"You can be able to have other uses for the park as well," he said. "People playing sports, children playing in the playground — it's really something that historically has been used in a variety of ways across our community."
Eileen Cubanski, a resident since 2009, says her children developed a fear of dogs as toddlers because they would often jump and knock them over. It wasn't until her children got older and bigger that they got a small dog.
"I won't bring my dog to that park, it's like the Wild West of dog parks at this point," said Cubanski. "My kids used to love to climb that old oak tree out there and they just couldn't do that anymore with the dogs running around."
Linton says she's had similar experiences and that the fences separating the children's playground from the temporary dog park aren't far away enough to keep kids from climbing it.
Resident Phil Kalstrom is a regular user of the enclosed dog park and hasn't seen or heard of children climbing over the fence into the area. He was also a user of the dog park during its recent peak in popularity.
"There would be 60 to 80 dogs out here and their owners. There was a great sense of community and the dogs pick up on that," said Kalstrom. "It's unfortunate we're not able to use that bigger area anymore."
Despite off-leash dogs only being allowed in the enclosed area, Linton says information she gathered from hundreds of 311 calls show dog owners stepping out of the boundaries. She believes if dog owners aren't honoring the park rules now, they won't be able to in the future.
Councilmember Rick Jennings' office told ABC10 Friday they are working closely with community members to come to a resolution.
"Our office has been meeting with groups that have expressed a desire to meet with us to hear from them regarding the Sierra 2 Green prior to the July 19 community meeting," said office spokesperson Dennis Rogers.
Oates, Kalstrom and fellow dog owner Kirsten Smith say they'd like to continue the decades-long practice of sharing the park for all to use, including off-leash dog owners.
With a daughter who now plays competitive soccer, Cubanski says the park should be prioritized as a soccer field so it could be a draw for kids sports.
But for now until at least July 19, the fight for Sierra 2 Park continues to rile up neighbors.
