Pet owners in the Ocean Beach and Point Loma areas are fed up with what they call “the deplorable conditions” at Dusty Rhodes Dog Parks. They want to “make our dog parks green again” and are planning a protest for Sunday, May 7th.
They hope to draw attention to the lack of grass and dangerous gopher holes, and prod the City into doing something about it – now that the Drought is officially over.
So, come 1pm at the Small Dog Park side – Sunset Cliffs Blvd, they plan to be there with their public protest.
For more info, contact: Mike Ryan 619-223-7587 (former) Peninsula Community Planning Board member, Dan Dennison 858-255-0052 current Ocean Beach Planning Board member. (Neither Ryan nor Dennison are organizing the protest on behalf of the planning committees.)
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
This place wasn’t that great when it had grass.
And I’ll admit I am not the biggest activist in the group, but aren’t their some things that don’t rise to the level of needing to be protested? Are you really planning to protest the fact that there is no grass at the dog park. Is the drought that far in the past that we are ignoring how to best allocate water resources?
Maybe we should organize a protest to protest protests.?? Whose in?
You do have a point, however when people feel government isn’t listening to them, they take to the streets, er, grass and dirt for large and small issues. Certainly the mayor and councilwoman have been very absent in OB of late. It’s a way to get their attention after no responses to emails or phone calls or letters.
Few practical questions for citizens who may have the answers– is it more smelly without grass (have not gone down and sniffed yet)? Also does the City maintain it as part of Dusty Rhodes? Has a drought tolerant design of grass, rocks, and dirt been drafted up?
Park users should organize and raise money to take care of maintenance because the city is broke! The streets cannot get fixed fast enough!
https://www.sandiego.gov/fm/proposed – Even though the City is projecting modestly improving revenue in Fiscal Year 2018 to help fund these priorities, that growth has been outpaced by a significant increase in the City’s annual pension payment. Fiscal Year 2018 is going to be a lean budget year as San Diego, like many other cities across California, grapples with growing pension costs. The City of San Diego’s pension payment has surged more than $63 million from Fiscal Year 2017 to Fiscal Year 2018.
The city is broke? Good thing the city spent $60,ooo on essential beach surveillance cameras when it had some moolah.
Well…I am not saying what they spend is done wisely :-)
Hope much did all those studies, meetings etc. concerning the Charges cost? All those dough could have kept some parks maintained for awhile.
Don’t forget the $500,000 that is ear-marked to complete the OB Entryway Park.
It seems to me that things that get attention nowaday have to be income generating.
Like new apartment buildings, more bars, aka tasting rooms, for instance.
Fixing streets and sidewalks don’t do that.
We would all like to see lovely green grass everywhere for sure, but most likely a drought tolerant design will have to be what protesters aim for in the dog park. I’m guessing no City engineering studies or geological studies are needed for the dog park (such as for the stairs at Bermuda beach).
No matter how you spin it the Dusty Rhodes dog parks are in fact CITY PARKS and as such should be maintained in the same manner as all city parks. That is all we ask.
Additionally San Diego is always in a drought – it is a coastal desert! It doesn’t matter if its a dog park, a ball park, a skate park or soccer fields – they are all city parks and they need to be maintained period.
With the success of the skate park we could hope for a similar positive effect with the dog park. Kudos to you and Dan for championing this cause!
Is the protest going forth with this weather?
It happened!
Granted the city should maintain parks and has misused money on spy cams..ugh. But non-native species (dogs) are not the problem in depleting native vegetation. Tired of dog shit all over the city and the owners who demand public space be reserved for their voluntary pet use. If you have a dog you need a yard for the beast. Keep it on your private property. Enjoy the animal in your private time/ space.
More money is spent on dog food /medical care than helping the poor or homeless humans. Human beings need to get their priorities straight!
Obviously, you’ve never known the love of a dog, john. I really feel sorry for you because you have no idea what you’re missing.