Depending upon whether you are a pet owner, the presumably good news is that dogs’ lives and those of park habitues will continue to travel along separate, very separate, paths.
Once believed settled, the strongly controversial subject of whether dogs should be as welcome in the city’s parks as humans was wrestled with last night by the Parks and Recreation Commission.
The final score was the same as before. No.
That, however, was only half of the fireball Parks and Recreation agenda.
The other hot item concerned whether dogs and their masters should be allowed to travel through Culver City Park, on foot, en route to the very popular Dog Park near the top of the awkwardly named park complex.
The final word this time was “yes,” which also seemed to please a majority of the assembled.
In line with the city’s no-dogs-in-the-park policy, pet owners were confronted by a conundrum.
The only way dog owners could reach the Dog Park, short of helicoptering in from Santa Monica Airport or more distant points — without violating the law — was to drive through.
One young man who testified at last night’s heavily attended meeting said he did not own a car. Short of converting into a car thief or a different kind of lawbreaker by strolling through Culver City Park in broad, and narrow, daylight, he would not be able to enjoy the aesthetic fruits of the Dog Park.
This was a toughie for the Commission members, Rick Hudson, Vicki Daly Redholtz, Marianne Kim, Jeff Cooper and Chair Anita Shapiro.
The double-deck dilemma about sanctioning a Pooch Path was that not only do dog owners need to reach the Dog Park other than by air, once inside they were faced with a second sticky wicket.
What if they needed to use the restroom?
Should they chance lawbreaking and trod a path to the bathroom?
Or should they play it conservatively and grow increasingly miserable until one member of the team could coax the other into leaving?
Mr. Hudson said he was opposed to granting wide-open access to dog owners along a prescribed path unless a holding area for dogs was built near the restroom to keep dogs away from other park guests while the master excused himself.
By inserting a nuance or two, the Commission approved of a Pooch Path, but emphasized the necessity of all six legs on each team staying on the straight, even when it narrows.
Signs of the changing times are expected to be posted.
Guest List Excludes Dogs
Few communal debates raise the temperatures of humans and animals faster than whether dogs deserve entry into park areas that many persons believe should be restricted to parties with two or fewer legs.
To their delight, they prevailed when the advisory Commission responded favorably to an unusually large outpouring of emotion — against allowing dogs to visit, much less meander, on grounds where children abound.
Near the shank of a long evening, after 30 persons passionately spoke and another 32 written speaker cards were acknowledged, about 80 percent of Council Chambers was judged pleased by the outcome.
