Burbank talks possible locations for off-leash dog park

Burbank resident Laverne Thomas is “totally against the Starlight Bowl” location as a site for a possible dog park, because it would be “dual purpose” — it would be a parking lot when needed for events and no longer be an area for canines.

Thomas was among roughly two dozen residents at the Community Services Building on Wednesday to discuss a potential dog park and to provide feedback about the city’s proposed sites — two on the hillside and one in the flatlands.

Judie Wilke, director of the city’s Park, Recreation and Community Services Department, and other staff were on hand to answer questions and solicit feedback, as were representatives of AHBE Landscape Architects, the Los Angeles-based firm that is also working on the Johnny Carson Park revitalization.

It was the first of two such opportunities this month. The second will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday, also in the Community Services Building, located at 150 N. Third St. Residents may also find information on the city’s website at https://bit.ly/1Fn7gZU, and submit input or questions to BurbankDogPark@burbankca.gov.

Wilke said community feedback will be used to develop conceptual site plans for the three potential locations — the Starlight Bowl parking lot, an open space adjacent to Bel Aire Park and a section of Johnny Carson Park South between the Ventura (134) Freeway and Riverside Drive — the latest set of options in long-running efforts to get an off-leash dog park in the city.

In mid-April, residents will get a look at conceptual plans at two public meetings, and their feedback will then go into development of a proposal that will go before the City Council for a vote before staff proceeds with further planning and budgeting, which would also be subject to council approval.

There’s no ideal spot in the city, Wilke said, but staff members are seeking feedback to guide the selection of the best location from what’s available, without taking space from existing park space — an option she said would be very difficult to consider.

Residents at the meeting raised concerns about added traffic and parking demand in residential areas on the hillside, as well as increased noise from barking dogs. Others asked about nighttime hours or the threat of coyotes and bobcats on the hillside.

Atop conference tables that had been pushed together in the back of the room, a long sheet of paper was stretched out like a smorgasbord of dog park elements with photos of each item and labels that residents could use to identify their preferences.

Residents were asked their preferences for park location, ground surfaces — turf, mulch or decomposed granite — and 25 other features such as shade trees, lighting, separate areas for large and small dogs, restrooms and drinking fountains.

Additional features may increase the cost of the project, depending on what’s already available at a particular site. Lighting, for example, may be more like an a la carte item. Restroom facilities already exist at Johnny Carson Park and city staff think the location near Bel Aire Park may be able to be linked with the existing park to use facilities there.

Thomas, who has lived in Burbank for more than 40 years, said her first choice is Johnny Carson Park South. Having recently spent $3,700 on veterinarian bills to treat her dog’s tick-borne infection, she also said she wanted more information on how the city plans to keep a park on a hillside tick-free.

Thomas said she’s been a part of the dog park discussion in the city since it began in 1997.

Chandler Bootchk, who also attended the meeting this week, moved to Burbank in 1999.

Bootchk, his wife and their three children, prefer the proposed location adjacent to Bel Aire Park, he said, though for somewhat “selfish” reasons — it’s two blocks from their home. Bootchk said he also liked the idea of a neighborhood park similar to what he’d seen while visiting family in Portland, Ore.

That’s where he and Thomas seem to agree. At one point during the public discussion, she said she’d like to see several neighborhood dog parks in town. Some other residents chuckled.

“Let’s get one first,” one of them said.