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City proposes converting part of Stellar Park's T-ball field into a dog park; staff seeks public feedback
Summary
Public works presented a plan to fence a portion of Stellar Park and create a dog park, acknowledging loss of a T-ball field; staff will solicit neighborhood input via web and return with a recommendation.
City staff proposed converting part of Stellar Park's T-ball field into a fenced off-leash dog park at the council meeting on June 8.
Dylan Gamble, CIP manager in public works, presented a design concept that would use the ballfield backstop and include features such as a double-gated entry (a "doggy foyer"), waste stations, signage and multiple access points to integrate with an adjacent trail. Gamble acknowledged the conversion would remove an available T-ball field, but said reservations for that field have been limited in recent years and that YMCA and other youth programs could be accommodated elsewhere.
Gamble said the proposal responds to the parks, recreation, open space and trails plan (adopted 2024), which captured resident input favoring off-leash spaces; he noted the 2024 outreach included about 118 respondents who flagged off-leash parks among priorities. Council members asked about small-dog areas, secondary gates for trail access and lessons learned from the downtown dog park; staff said a small-dog section had not been successful at the other location and suggested testing the primary facility first.
Staff next steps include online and on-site outreach (a QR code and web page) to gather public feedback and then return with recommendations and refined designs.
Why it matters: The conversion would provide the ridge neighborhood with its first dedicated off-leash area but would also reassign recreational space used historically for youth sports; community reaction and programming adjustments are part of the evaluation.
What's next: Staff will collect public input via website and social channels and return to council with recommendations and any proposed mitigations for displaced youth programming.
