PRESERVE THE SEPULVEDA BASIN OFF-LEASH DOG PARK!

By signing this petition, you support our demand that the Los Angeles City Council approval for the LA River Bike Path be vacated and that alternative plans be prepared that do not infringe upon the Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park.

This petition is to protest the portion of the "Los Angeles River Valley Bikeway & Greenway Project - Vanalden Avenue to Balboa Boulevard" that would run along the south side fence of the Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park and compromise parking for dog park patrons. https://eng.lacity.org/about-us/divisions/environmental-management/projects/la-river-valley-bikeway-and-greenway

This is also part of the “Sepulveda Basin Vision Plan” which has scheduled this project to be completed by the 2028 Olympics. https://eng.lacity.org/sepulveda-basin-vision-plan?fbclid=IwAR1Sgno7y7IbzJBFwXco4Jve_HykMC0iwI9uhxo2d4Qte5_JvyFDZmo7XwI

Arguments - Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park (SBOLDP)

*The SBOLDP is the only dog park in three Council Districts (CD). CD6, CD3 and CD12 & part of CD4, serving approximately 876,000 people

*2 bike paths already exist parallel to this dog park; one is less than 100 feet away

*Loss of a minimum of 4,200 sq. ft of park space and up to 22 trees, per plan

*Disruptive construction for an unspecified amount of time

*Plan states there is existing parking without the benefit of a parking study

*Access gate to the bike path will be located at the end of the SBOLDP parking lot, adding new foot and bike traffic unrelated to people entering and exiting the dog park with their dogs

* Creates a safety hazard for dogs who can be startled, and subsequently chase bikes and skateboards in the parking lot as well as at the fence inside the dog park

*Loss of one agility course ramp built as an Eagle Scout project

*Possible loss of the view of the basin further diminishing the experience for park patrons

Community outreach was inadequate in Council District 6, the Dog Park's CD, and nonexistent for dog park patrons and the Friends of the Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park 501c3, which has been well known to the community for the last 9 years. The Neighborhood Councils that oversee our park, the Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council and the Encino Neighborhood Council, were not consulted. While we are recently given a list of 2 meetings in CD6, one in 2016 and one in 2019 there was no notification to the public and no community public input.

On May 4, 2022, the Friends group president, Miriam Preissel, attended the Encino Neighborhood Council Parks Committee and asked for any information on the bike plan or meetings that we could attend. No information was offered. Glenn Bailey was on that committee and we just recently found that he was also on the “Bike Advisory Committee for the City of Los Angeles” at that time. On that very date the Los Angeles City Council was on their last motion to finalize the bike path plan. We were deliberately kept in the dark.

Council offices have told us that it is not in their district and advised that we talk to a vacant seat in CD6 but we are hearing that CD4 is lobbying against this path being rerouted. Nithya Raman may outwardly support community input but her field deputy, Mehmet Berker, is advocating for our silence.

Los Angeles is completing 51 miles of bike paths. This is the only dog park for over 800,000 people, but this will be the THIRD bike path in this area. One bike path exists less than a quarter mile away on Oxnard Blvd. along the bus route, as well as a bike/pedestrian path less than 100 ft away on Victory Blvd. This setback was in the original park design to keep a barrier between the dogs, the bike path and the busy street. In this new plan there is little thought to the park design but it is 100% dedicated to fitting in another bike path on the river. We are not against bike paths! We are against unnecessary excess which compromises the quality of life for so many others.

Sharing the parking means that bikers singly or with bike clubs can meet and leave their cars for an undetermined amount of time. This will create unpredictable parking access for dog owners who have few off-leash options. There is no room to expand the parking; the grassy overflow area is already double parked at peak times. The only alternative is parking across Victory Blvd. which would mean crossing a busy 6 lane, 60mph street with your dog(s) on a leash, hoping they don’t panic and slip their collars. 

 

Alternate parking for the cyclists is available within a mile. The Metro station, with ample parking, is on Balboa and Victory Blvd. Additionally, down the street the Balboa Sports Complex has parking as well as bathrooms, lights and picnic tables.

We would like to point out that this bike path will have lights. We have advocated for lights and have been told no for decades. This limits the park use during the short days of winter and also in the summer when the heat dies down. We cannot enjoy the park until 10pm like many other parks. Again, we would like to remind everyone that this is the only off-leash dog park for so many. Consideration and support for our concerns and quality of life have been minimal.

Barrier frustration at fences is a reality for anyone taking a walk in their own neighborhood. The idea of a dog park is to take city stimulus as much out of the experience as possible and let dogs run free. Even an opaque fence would not drown out the sound. Dogs will chase, bark, dig and some will even jump the fence. Any bike, motorized bike, skateboard or a toddler running are triggers.

Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council (NC) has already passed a motion against this plan. We hope to see motions passed at the Tarzana NC soon in addition to other surrounding Councils. Please contact sepulvedadogpark@gmail.com if your NC would like to support us.

We are told that this was an Army Corps decision, although we cannot get this or the reason confirmed. We understand that the Army Corps allowed Harvard West Lake to build “O’Malley Family Field” to the edge of the access road on the south side of the river. This left no room for a bike path. We do not know if this was the reason the path was planned on the north side; we are only left guessing. They can accommodate both the park and the ballfield by starting on the south and switching to the north at the bus overpass crossing a mile down as one alternative.

Who are the decision makers? The “Advisory Committee” was formed by the mayor's office under Mayor Garcetti. Now Mayor Karen Bass should listen. The Army Corps owns the land and we are being told are responsible for the decision to put the path on the north side. Parks and Recreation leases the land. Every LA City Councilmember is a decision maker. Our Congressman, Brad Sherman. Our Senator, Henry Stern. Who funded this? We need to let them know as well. As of right now we know that the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Measure M) funds have committed $60 million. The ATP (Active Transportation Cycle 4 funds) has committed to a grant for $19 million. The General Fund is supporting the City’s project management staff costs at $15 million. 

We will target all the funders and representatives of the city that are the actual decision makers. We will also list their contact information so you can send emails directly or talk to your representatives.

The Bureau of Engineering has a page regarding their “2021-2023 Strategic Plan” https://eng.lacity.org/about/strategic-plan  “Transparency: We operate with integrity and are accessible to the public and our clients, taking responsibility for our work.” Where was our transparency?

Scare tactics are: “It’s a done deal”. Nothing is a “Done Deal”. If a councilmember wanted this changed, it would be changed.  “Changing now will set this back YEARS.” No construction would ever be done if this were true. We don’t believe a change in plans will set the rest of the bike path back years. “This has been in the planning stage for 25 years!” They could have been planning this for the last 100 years; that just means they kept us in the dark for that long. Reroute or be happy with the two paths that already exist.

We appreciate your support and would like to hear back from you as well. We would like anyone interested to spread the word and share this petition. Feel free to reach out to any media outlets that you think would have interest. Please cc us on any emails you send at sepulvedadogpark@gmail.com and feel free to contact us at anytime.

Communities have a VOICE in a democracy! 

Let's finally have that voice!

Join us in saying this loud enough to make them hear it!

 "PRESERVE THE SEPULVEDA BASIN DOG PARK!” 

Contacts:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District

COL Julie A. Balten Commander and District Engineer

Julie.A.Balten@usace.army.mil

(213)-452-3961

 

Mayor Karen Bass

Mayor.helpdesk@lacity.org

213 978-0600 

 

Congressman Brad Sherman

brad.sherman@mail.house.gov

818-501-9200 

 

Senator Henry Stern

Senator.Stern@senate.ca.gov

(818) 876-3352

 

Recreation and Parks Commissioners

RAP.Commissioners@lacity.org

 

Los Angeles City Controller

Kenneth Mejia

Controller.mejia@lacity.org

213-978-7200

 

Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel

assemblymember.gabriel@assembly.ca.gov

(818) 346-4521

 

Councilmember District 1 - Eunisses Hernandez

councilmember.hernandez@lacity.org

(213)-473-7001

 

Councilmember District 2 - Paul Krekorian

councilmember.Krekorian@lacity.org

(213)-473-7002

 

Councilmember District 3 - Bob Blumenfield

councilmember.blumenfield@lacity.org

(213)-473-7003

 

Councilmember District 4 - Nithya Raman

contactCD4@lacity.org

(213)-473-7004

 

Councilmember District 5 - Katy Yaroslavsky

councilmember.yaroslavsky@lacity.org

(213)-473-7005

 

Councilmember District 6 - Vacant

Councildistrict6@lacity.org

(213)-473-7006

 

CouncilmemberDistrict 7 - Monica Rodriguez

councilmember.rodriguez@lacity.org

(213)-473-7007

 

Councilmember District 8 - Marqueece Harris-Dawson

councilmember.harris-dawson@lacity.org

(213)-473-7008

 

Councilmember District 9 - Curren D. Price, Jr.

councilmember.price@lacity.org

(213)-473-7009

 

Councilmember District 10 - Heather Hutt

cd10@lacity.org

(213)-473-7010

 

Councilmember District 11 - Traci Park

councilmember.park@lacity.org

(213)-473-7011

 

Councilmember District 12 - John Lee

councilmember.Lee@lacity.org

(213)-473-7012

 

Councilmember District 13 - Hugo Soto-Martinez

councilmember.soto-martinez@lacity.org

(213)-473-7013

 

Councilmember District 14 - Kevin de León

councilmember.kevindeleon@lacity.org

213-473-7014

 

Councilmember District 15 - Tim McOsker

councilmember.mcosker@lacity.org

(213)-473-7015

 

Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel

Assemblymember.gabriel@assembly.ca.gov

(818) 346-4521

FUNDERS

 

Measure M

Monica Del Toro

deltorom@metro.net
213.922.7494

Lauren Choi

choil@metro.net
213.922.3926 

ATP (Active Transportation Authority)

Trina Luo

Trina.luc@dot.ca.gov

 

Prop K

engpropkrfp@lacity.org