January 18, 2013 Hello Friends and Neighbors,
We have news.
Following the 4-4 split vote by the City Council last December, Mayor Quan directed the City staff to find a better location than Astro Park for a fenced dog run. While the future of Astro Park remains uncertain, the Office of Parks and Recreation has mobilized quickly to find an alternative location.
One location, within Snow Park at the corner of 19th and Harrison near Lake Merritt, has emerged as particularly promising. We are hopeful that this site will work better for everyone. The City believes active recreation is limited at this site, the dog run would be located at the far end of the park, and the entire park would be expanded and re-designed to include a dog park at that location.
A relatively large team of people are working on vetting the Snow Park alternative to businesses, environmentalists, educational and residential communities. Every city staff department that needs to be involved, is involved, to make this a coordinated effort.
As far as Astro Park is concerned, we are not in the clear yet. The Mayor has the option to break the tie vote at an upcoming City Council meeting. Alternatively, the appeal could be withdrawn. We hope resolution comes soon.
It is our sincerest wish that the Snow Park location be workable for all parties. If so, it will deliver a dog park to those who want it, and Astro Park will be saved for the thousands of us who love the open space at Lakeshore and MacArthur. If Snow Park doesn't work out, however, we remain very clear that Astro Park never was and never will be an appropriate location for a dog run.
Thanks everyone for your continued interest in saving Astro Park.
More soon. |
 The fenced dog run would take away about half of the usable play field and force children and adults to share what little is left over.
Get Informed: Save Astro Park Videos are Worth Seeing.
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Learn more about Saving Astro Park: Like us on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-Astro-Park/136486593085134
Here are some of the reasons that we feel a fenced dog run is wrong for Astro Park: The fenced enclosure would reduce or eliminate existing recreational uses
No budget for maintenance
Dogs would be too near the tot lot
A dog park would create traffic and parking impacts near the Lakeview Library
The proposal would turn the green space brown - and you'd see it across the 59 feet width of concrete with no vines at the Lakeshore Ave entrance
There are six other dog parks nearby
Thanks for doing your part to save our green space!
   
We love dogs, but the corner of MacArthur Boulevard and Lakeshore Avenue is the wrong place for a dog run. Here is a summary of our position regarding the dog park proposed at the corner of MacArthur and Lakeshore.
Views across our beautiful park today.... and the Ohlone Dog Park, held up by the proponents as "what a the Lakeview dog park would be like"
Save Astro Park is a diverse group of concerned citizens of Oakland's Grand Lake area, committed to protecting and preserving the valuable open spaces within the Lake Merritt neighborhoods. We are strongly opposed to the proposed dog run at the corner of MacArthur Boulevard and Lakeshore Avenue, known variously as "Astro Park", "Eastshore Park", "Lakeview Park" and "Library Park".
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