Public prefers Johnny Carson Park South as future site of dog park

The results are in following a series of public meetings this spring about a potential off-leash dog park in Burbank, and one site fetched an overwhelming share of support from residents who attended.

The location at Johnny Carson Park South, between the Ventura (134) Freeway and Riverside Drive, garnered 82% of the votes from the roughly 60 residents who provided feedback on three proposed sites, according to a staff report from Judy Wilke, director of the city’s Park, Recreation and Community Services Department.

Other possible dog park options included an open area near Bel Aire Park, which received 14% of the votes, and a portion of the parking lot at the Starlight Bowl, which got 4%.

The public feedback was gathered at public meetings in April, where officials from the parks department and representatives of AHBE Architects presented two conceptual plan options for each site. Participants were allowed to vote for their top two choices from among the six proposals. Residents were also able to submit feedback via email.

During one April meeting, several residents in the neighborhood near Bel Aire Park expressed concerns that building the dog park in that area might disrupt the habitats of wild animals or result in coyotes attacking small dogs.

Some residents also objected to locations that would adversely impact traffic in residential neighborhoods on the hillside at both the Bel Aire and Starlight Bowl sites. However, residents who live near Johnny Carson Park say that site is not perfect either, due to traffic and parking issues.

It may be as good as it gets, though. There is no perfect location, city officials have said, after considering multiple options over the past several months.

A place-holder amount of more than $1.25 million for the project was included in the city’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2015-16, which was discussed at last week’s City Council meeting. It was among the nearly $18 million in unfunded investments for the year, Public Works Director Bonnie Teaford said in a City Council study session last week.

However, preliminary estimates for the cost of the facility at Johnny Carson Park South come in at roughly one-third the place-holder amount at $404,000. The location is separate from the portion of the park north of the Ventura Freeway, which is closed for a $3.7-million renovation and will reopen next spring.

Projected costs for the Starlight Bowl location, which would be a dual-purpose site that would convert into a parking area during events at the venue, came in at roughly $470,000. The proposed site near Bel Aire Park was projected to cost more than $1 million.

Council members will likely provide direction about the dog park as they continue to consider the proposed budget over the next few weeks, Wilke said. If they want to consider the issue further, a report would be presented outlining options and costs in more detail, she said.

“It’s worthy of a discussion,” Wilke said, adding that it would give the public another opportunity to voice their feedback on the plan as well.

LaVerne Thomas, a longtime proponent of the dog park who favors the Johnny Carson Park South location, said this week that the latest developments have already “absolutely, positively” progressed further than the dog park issue has gotten since the late 1990s.

“We’re moving along,” Thomas said. “It’s looking pretty positive for that area.”

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Chad Garland, chad.garland@latimes.com

Twitter: @chadgarland