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El Segundo residents ask commission to improve neglected dog park
Summary
Residents told the Recreation and Parks Commission the city’s dog park is unsafe and uninviting, urged capital improvements and offered volunteer help; staff said the resident had met with staff and could raise the issue with City Council for potential capital funding.
Ashley Ellsworth, a longtime El Segundo resident, told the Recreation and Parks Commission on Feb. 19 that the city’s dog park is “primarily a large dirt pit” with nonworking fountains, damaged gates and erosion that makes the site a tripping hazard. Ellsworth spoke with her husband, Robert Nargis, and said the current conditions discourage use and require immediate attention.
Ellsworth said the family had spent time at nearby Ala Dog Park in Marina del Rey and Bluff Creek dog park in Playa Del Rey as examples of well-maintained off-leash spaces and provided a handout with photos. “It’s really not tenable,” she said of the El Segundo site, adding that dog owners often avoid it because their animals get so dirty they need a bath immediately afterward. She and her husband suggested synthetic turf as a long-term solution but acknowledged the “significant upfront price,” and proposed temporary approaches such as rotating grass recovery areas to keep at least part of the site green.
Park Superintendent Christopher Henson provided the staff response at the meeting. A staff member also told the commission that they had met with the resident last week and explained how capital improvement projects are considered; the staff member said the resident would be welcome to address the City Council if she wished and that it would be at the council’s discretion whether to direct staff to research a project at the dog park.
No formal motion or funding decision was made during the commission meeting. Commissioners and staff discussed volunteer involvement and noted a recent cleanup event; residents who brought the concern said they are available to help with future efforts.
The issue was raised during the public communications portion of the Feb. 19 meeting and was not an agenda action item. Staff indicated the matter could be advanced through the City Council capital projects process if the council chooses to direct additional research or funding.
Community members who want to follow up were referred to the contact information included in the handout provided at the meeting.
