Sacramento council close door on dog park at Sierra 2, eyes William Land Park for future

After an 11-month trial period and waves of public feedback, the dog park on the green behind Sierra 2 Center for the Arts and Community in the Curtis Park neighborhood is not to be.

In a City Council meeting this week, city staff announced it would no longer pursue a dog park concept there.

“After evaluating the temporary pop-up dog park at Sierra 2 Park over the 11-month trial period, staff determined that the available area is too small to meet city standards for a dog park and has become a significant maintenance burden during its implementation,” according to the staff report.

Jackie Beecham, director of the city’s Department of Youth, Parks, & Community Enrichment, said staff received over 400 complaints of off-leash dogs outside the temporary dog park, dog feces and holes in the grass behind Sierra 2. The arts and events facility, as well as the Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association, which operates out of the same park, has submitted “complaints about off-leash dogs in the park” to the city.

Instead, the city is now pursuing possible dog park concepts at William Land Park and Belle Cooledge Park.

The proposition of an unfenced dog park in William Land Park received lackluster public opinion. Many were in favor of the move to Land Park, saying it would allow a much larger space for dog owners and their pets.

Neighbors in Curtis Park shared concerns about so many dogs utilizing a relatively small space within the 3-acre green. Sierra 2 also lacks the double-fence gates that help prevent dogs from scampering out onto the street.

But Sierra 2 was a popular destination and gave pets and their owners a sense of community; others insisted Curtis Park still needed a dog park within easy walking reach. One resident raised a concern that William Land Park would be too far of a walk for Curtis Park’s elderly residents.

Mayor Darrell Steinberg said a dog park in Curtis Park is still an “open question” and city staff would continue to look for a solution.

The City Council voted unanimously to authorize city staff to research and pilot a designated area for an unfenced, off-leash dog park within William Land Park. The pilot program has a budget of $200,000.

City staff drew up three designs and solicited community feedback. The most popular plan would place the park between 19th Street and Freeport Boulevard, adjacent to the golf course and across from Sacramento City College.

This pilot park would likely launch in early 2024 after city staff choose a location. The implementation would include “pedestrian safety measures” around Land Park, as well as additional benches, a drinking fountain with a dog bowl and signage to designate the area and rules.

Given available funding, the city has maintained staff will continue evaluating more locations for off-leash dog parks throughout the city — this includes a potential expansion of Partner Park behind the Belle Cooledge Community Center in South Land Park, some 2½ miles south of Sierra 2.