Piedmont Council removes Linda Park from off‑leash dog areas after sustained erosion, public outcry

The Piedmont City Council voted unanimously April 21 to amend the city code and remove Linda Park as a designated off‑leash dog area, after staff told the council that the site’s steep topography and ongoing off‑leash use make long‑term compliance with regional water‑quality requirements difficult.

Mayor Betsy Smigel Anderson opened the discussion by noting the matter had returned to the council for a second reading because of “a great deal of public interest” and correspondence. City staff said the Regional Water Quality Control Board asked the city to submit a mitigation plan, and that the board’s informal communications had indicated the park’s topography and use were not appropriate for continuing the off‑leash designation. Public Works Director Daniel Gonzalez said temporary construction best‑management practices would not be a durable solution and that “revegetation on a slope with animals is an incompatible usage.”

Residents urged the council to seek less permanent steps. David Hsu, who said he has used the parks frequently and read the city notice as abrupt, told the council he found the proposed removal “kind of draconian, frankly” and asked for more study of alternatives. Michael Lehi said petitioners had submitted roughly 400 signatures opposing a permanent removal and repeated that the Regional Water Board had asked for a mitigation plan—not an explicit closure.

City Attorney told the council there is enforcement exposure under state and federal water‑quality laws and that civil penalties could be substantial: “fines are up to $66,712 per day,” he said. Staff estimated that full remediation of topography (retaining walls, grading and revegetation) could reach into the millions, while short‑term revegetation efforts would take years and might still be undermined by ongoing off‑leash use.

After questions from council members, Vice Mayor moved to remove Linda Park from the municipal code’s off‑leash list. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously. Mayor Anderson acknowledged the decision, saying it “was not the result that many of you wanted to hear this evening,” and urged residents to participate in a forthcoming park sustainability study that staff said will study possible fenced dog areas and alternative locations.

Next steps: staff said it will include fenced‑dog‑area options in the city’s park sustainability study, solicit proposals for that study in May and expect work to start in early July; any future change to the code would require a council action.

Votes and action: The ordinance amending Piedmont City Code sections 3.40.2 and 3.40.4 to remove Linda Park as a designated off‑leash area was approved by unanimous roll call vote.