Plans for Off-Leash Dog Park Move Forward

The croquet field at emerged as the leading location for an off-leash dog park in Beverly Hills at Tuesday's Recreation and Parks Commission meeting.

Resident and cocker spaniel owner Margy Gunderson told commissioners that she would be willing to help conduct outreach among community members to gain favor for the project. She pointed out that Culver City, West Hollywood and Santa Monica all have off-leash dog parks.

“It would be nice to be able to walk your dog [to a dog park], instead of packing it into the car,” Gunderson told Patch. 

Identifying a suitable location for the park has been months in the making, with commissioners vetoing several options along the way. 

“This is long overdue,” board Chairman Alan Block said of the dog park.

City staff concluded in a report that the croquet field is the most advantageous location for the dog park because of its distance from homes and its Olympic Boulevard access. It would also be less costly than revamping the nearby putting green, which was being eyed as an alternative spot. Staffers also said the croquet field is already bordered by landscaping that could be seamlessly integrated into the project.

Use of the croquet field would mean displacing a croquet club, which has 15 members—two of whom are Beverly Hills residents.

Recreation Services Manager Teri Angel said the dog park would contain separate spaces for small dogs and large ones. One-third of the space would be devoted to small dogs and the remaining two-thirds would serve larger canines.

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