Sepulveda Basin Dog Park Likely to Get OK

Plans to build the city’s largest dog park in the Sepulveda Basin are expected to win final approval Wednesday at a meeting of the city’s Recreation and Parks Commission in Encino.

The 9.7-acre park, proposed for a barren patch of land on the corner of White Oak Avenue and Victory Boulevard, will include a five-acre off-leash area for dogs, and parking for 98 cars.

The $300,000 cost of the park will be paid for through voter-approved park improvement funds and contributions by the Friskies pet food company. In exchange for the contribution, Friskies will be allowed to use the park for annual promotional events, such as Frisbee-catching contests for dogs.

The off-leash area will be encircled by a 6-foot-high chain-link fence. The park will also include an on-leash picnic area for owners and their dogs.

City officials considered the site ideal for the park because of its easy freeway access and the availability of so many acres of unused property managed by the city Recreation and Parks Department.

The other two dog parks operated by the city are a 3.7-acre commons off Mulholland Drive in Studio City and a one-acre pilot project on a hill at Silver Lake Recreation Center.

The commission meets at 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Balboa Sports Center, 17015 Burbank Blvd., Encino. An official groundbreaking is scheduled at 10 a.m. Monday at the park site.