Exercise Creativity in Runyon Canyon

As both a homeowner on Vista Street and a dog owner, I can sympathize with both camps in the Runyon Canyon debate (June 14). No one likes traffic or canine urine or feces in front of their home. But the city would be making an egregious mistake to sacrifice any of the acreage enjoyed by off-leash dogs for a parking lot. This natural sanctuary is one of the most charming idylls in Los Angeles, where red-tail hawks circle in the sky, peering down on lizards, rabbits, hummingbirds and, of course, untethered dogs and their owners. My mutt, Ella, has gone from puppyhood to dotage in the hills above Hollywood Boulevard, and I would be loath to subject her to leashing merely so more commuters can park their cars.

My proposed solution: Out-of-the-neighborhood visitors can park on nearby streets and start getting the exercise they ostensibly want by walking to Runyon Canyon. And dog owners -- including those of us who live nearby -- can clean up after their hounds and terriers with the same assiduousness with which they lobby their local politicians.

Michael Konik

Hollywood