Sharing the Space

There is a huge unmet demand for off-leash space. A large fraction of households have one or more dogs. Off-leash exercise is the best form of exercise for a dog, not only to preserve physical health but also to maintain and enhance the animal’s good behavior. For many people, the time spent outdoors with a canine companion represents their most important recreational need. This important need is serviced by a tiny fraction of the public lands in the city of Santa Cruz.

  • It’s not just about dogs, it’s about people. Off-leash exercise is a pleasurable outdoor activity for many people. Quite a few people view it as a mandatory requirement, necessary to carry out their obligations as responsible dog owners. It’s been proposed that off-leash exercise could be confined to a few unpleasant fenced-in areas. While some dogs could still be exercised in this way, such a solution would prevent many residents from enjoying outdoor beauty and their own healthful walks as they engage in one of their most important outdoor recreational activities.
  • The amount of available space is very small compared to the need. Many people choose to have canine companions. 36% of U.S. households have dogs.1 Within the Santa Cruz city limits, there are over 1,800 acres of public open space. Of this space, only 2% is available for off-leash recreation. Since virtually all of the off-leash space is restricted to half-time usage, in effect there is only 1% available after accounting for restricted hours.2 Large parts of the remaining park spaces do not permit dogs at all, even on leash. See map on next page.
  • The space is shared. The use of spaces like Lighthouse Field and Its Beach for off-leash recreation does not preclude other activities. A visit to the Field or the Beach during "dog hours" will find many other users — surfers, cyclists, hikers, bird watchers, kite fliers, sightseers — including people who don’t have dogs but enjoy the presence of dogs. It is true that some people dislike dogs or are fearful, and they may wish to avoid such areas. We recognize that off-leash dogs are not compatible with all uses. Nobody is proposing to make all parks "off-leash".
  • There are many nearby alternatives for persons who dislike dogs. For beach users, Cowell Beach is less than a mile from Its Beach. The Main Beach is just over a mile away. About 1-_ miles to the west is Natural Bridges, arguably the most beautiful and best-preserved beach in the city limits. For persons who wish to utilize neighborhood parks or to walk in areas of natural beauty, within less than a mile there are the Lighthouse Avenue Neighborhood Park, Garfield Park, Bethany Curve Greenbelt, and the Neary Lagoon Wildlife Refuge, not to mention the entire length of West Cliff Drive and the other beaches.
  • Most of the off-leash space for the entire city is in Lighthouse Field and Its Beach. If we are driven out of the park, then 75% of our important recreational access will be terminated.

Park/Beach Area Map. The map below shows the City of Santa Cruz. Areas in green are public open space (parks and beaches), including State parks within the city limits. The areas in red are the areas available for off-leash exercise. (These areas are also circled.)

Recommendations

We have several recommendations regarding space sharing and the unmet community needs:

 

  • Continue the successful off-leash access at Lighthouse Field and Its Beach. There is a huge unmet demand for such recreational space. The Field and Beach account for most of what is now available.
  • Make off-leash areas available dawn to dusk. The shortage is intensified by the limited hours available.
  • Provide signage at all parks where off-leash dogs are allowed to indicate nearby no-dog areas. This helps guide persons who may prefer to avoid dogs.
  • Reduce pressure and meet public needs by creating additional off-leash areas. Lighthouse Field and Its Beach might be less heavily used if the severe shortage of off-leash recreation areas were to be addressed with a few additional spaces.
  • Work with community organizations, such as Friends of Lighthouse Field or others, to successfully manage any new spaces. Community support should be harnessed whenever possible to address any potential problems before they occur, and to ensure that any added spaces remain friendly, safe and accessible for all users, including those without dogs.

1 U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook, 2002 Edition, American Veterinary Medical Association.

2 Park area estimates are based on the City of Santa Cruz electronic map layers supplied by the city GIS coordinator on April 22, 2003. Acreage was derived from the "Parks" layer, with additional information from the "Zoning" layer to estimate Beach and State Park areas. Certain areas are not defined in the mapping files and have been estimated as closely as possible. DeLaveaga Golf Course is included as public open space. The yacht harbor is not included as public space. The Lighthouse Field area is from the revised General Plan document. The off-leash acreage assumes implementation of the protected areas defined in the revised General Plan document.

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