Thursday, November 10, 2011

Leash your dogs at Linda Mar Beach


From Pacifica PB&R

Hi all, just FYI.. leash inforcement will be stepped up on our beach here in Linda Mar, starting tomorrow ~Thurs, Nov. 10. Though I did hear that the ATV police was out this afternoon/evening patroling already. Please pass the word along to your dog walking friends.

Submitted by Jim Alex

51 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, with all the cutbacks, once again the pd chooses to harass law abiding tax paying citizens, meanwhile homes are being vandalized and vehicles stolen right out of our garages. But, burglars and other hard criminals do not, would not, pay taxes. So, the pd goes after the people who will pay, or, more like, have no choice but to pay. We definitely live in a police state. I am really hating this bullshit.

Anonymous said...

They probably are under pressure from the anti-dog types and ploverfolk to enforce the existing leash laws. Those laws are on the books and failing to enforce them could lead to more severe restrictions. Not popular, but true. The police really have no choice in the matter. Usually, they make a good faith showing and then drift away until the complaints can't be ignored, again.

Anonymous said...

Why no mention of the Coastal Commission notice on the small lot's bathroom door, giving notice of installation of pay parking machines at south and north lots?

Anyone know what's going on?

Alan.

Anonymous said...

No mention probably because no one wants to jinx it. Longterm this might bring in a little money but short term it's just another expense to set it up. I think it was around $175,000 a few years ago.
Where will that come from?

Anonymous said...

Since when does enforcing the law equate to harassing law abiding tax paying citizens? If you don't like it, move. If you don't like going through security to get on a plane then drive...

Anonymous said...

They were out there on Wed. I saw the cops issue a ticket to a dog owner.

Kathy Meeh said...

"If you don't like it, move."

Anon 11/11, 10:36pm, are you proposing that the 20% of dog owners in our community move out-of-town, or only those who run their dogs on the beach (some of whom already live out-of-town). Who's next?

This "law" is as logical and humane as the leash ordinance passed in about 2003, with no accompanying provision including a place for dogs to run. (Most dogs need big muscle exercise).

hippie said...

this is caving to the hippies once again. The snowy plover.

Why didn't the hippies yell at city council when 7.5 million gallons of raw sewage spilled into the ocean?

chicken chits all of them..

Anonymous said...

The comment was for those complaining about enforcement of the leash law. I personally don't agree with it, but I don't ignore it either. I'm forced to bring my dogs to the South San Francisco dog park because of the lack of a dog park in our dog friendly city. That is the bigger issue, not our police doing their job.

Anonymous said...

I don't even like the idea of a dog park. Why? In Pacifica, We have a tradition , part of our culture, to play with our pets in open spaces and beaches. I view this as more of government testing waters to see how far they can, how much, they can get away with, controlling the people. I encourage everyone to stand up and say ENOUGH! I get up early, very early, when there is no one on the beach. Why would you want a cop to walk all the way onto the beach to harass and fine me, a peaceful person with a quiet dog. It is INSANITY.

Anonymous said...

Enforcement? So why aren't the Pacifica Blues enforcing the new "no smoking on the beach" ordinance"? To Mr. "Like it or leave it", the City Council sets enforcement policies. Before 2001, the enforcement priority was low for off-leash violations. Around 2000, then Mayor Jim Vreeland changed the enforcement priority to "high" for off-leash violations, no doubt to appease his environmental, dog-hating supporters. This was done without public notice or comment and without providing Pacificans any accessible public recreation space where they could legally play the time-honored game of fetch with their best friend. Over ten years later, we still don't have a legal off-leash dog park.

"Pacifica - we love our froggies, our snakies, our birdies, our fishies and our native weeds. "What about dogs?", you ask. What in the Hell is the matter with you?"

Anonymous said...

Well how special are we! It's our culture? A Pacifica tradition? So's being your own worst enemy.

"Sneaky Pete" promised a dog park said...

Why aren't people calling him out on flaking out on his promise to bring a dog park to Pacfica?

Sneaky Pete "John Kerry" Dejarnatt said...

"I actually voted for a dog park before I voted against it."

Anonymous said...

Seems a paving and construction contract has been awarded for the dog park at Sanchez to get underway. Keep your fingers crossed. With all the uproar created by one of veteran council's most favored artists it is a miracle that dog park made it thru PB&R and on to council. Now, how about Sharp Park Beach for a real dog beach? That was under serious consideration a few years ago and I think had been voted on and approved but Pacifica city council then managed to derail the thing for nothing more than personal preference. They just took no action and it died. Election coming up. Seems like it might be a good time to push for Sharp Park Beach as a dog beach. Make it an issue.

Anonymous said...

Why call him out now when he can say truthfully that he voted for the park at Sanchez which is being built. Pointless.

Anonymous said...

"I get up early, very early, when there is no one on the beach. Why would you want a cop to walk all the way onto the beach to harass and fine me, a peaceful person with a quiet dog."

Do you fail to stop at stop signs and speed on the freeway on the way there too? It's ok right, since you get up early, very early when nobody is on the road?

Anonymous said...

I don't understand. A dog park has been approved.

Anonymous said...

And a dog park is being built. Slowly, it's true, but it is happening. That's a fact. The rest of this stuff is what? Persistent nostalgia? A sense of entitlement? Political pot stirring? The dogs don't play those games. Aren't they wonderful?

Winter Roads said...

I saw a San Francisco Garter Snake at the proposed dog park today.

Anonymous said...

No surprise. A last ditch effort to stop the project. Probably captured, stuffed, and planted. The SFGS, not you.

Anonymous said...

Oh my. Were you up early, very early with no one else around when you saw it?

Curtis whispers in "sneaky Pete's" ear said...

Curtis tells "sneaky pete" what to do. He talks to Curtis a couple times a week.

Term limits=the best thing that ever happened in Pacifica!

Anonymous said...

dogs are superior to humans needing assisted living help. Dog park and assisted living on same creek containing such valuable wildlife. No enviro beef with dog park. But end of western civilization with assisted living. Wonder how those geniuses on planning commission voted on dog park approval and if they will be fair and consistent on assisted living votes? PC fair and consistent--joke, get it?

Nimby Jimby Vreeland jr. said...

"I voted against the Esplanade dog beach because I wanted to give you more."

ian butler said...

I just want to clear up some misinformation that has made it on to this thread:

First, Pete DeJarnatt and the other council members approved the dog park at the Sanchez Art Center some time ago, and the plan is still working it's way through the various regulatory hurdles. These things take time (and money), but so far all systems are go.

There are no SF Garter snakes anywhere near the Sanchez site, although there are many Red-Sided Garters, which are closely related and look similar but are not endangered. The only area of Pacifica where SF Garters can be found is the area between the Sharp Park golf course and Calera Creek, and although I have been looking for years, I've seen more extinct Mammoths in Pacifica than SF Garters!

A dog park at Sharp Park beach is a non-starter, there are endangered birds that nest at the south end of the beach. (I forget what kind, but I think they are some kind of swallow or tern). A more suitable spot for an off leach dog beach would be the south end of Rockaway.

Lastly, many people did have environmental concerns with the dog park at Sanchez, but those concerns have been addressed with design modifications that minimized any environmental impact. The opposition to the assisted living center is primarily by residents who live adjacent to the property and would personally be impacted by the project. I'm not convinced that their primary motivation is concern for the environment, although that is a legitimate concern, it could probably be addressed by mitigation and scaling back the size of the project.

Anonymous said...

Thank you, Ian, for correcting the misinformation.

Anonymous said...

Ian said: "A dog park at Sharp Park beach is a non-starter, there are endangered birds that nest at the south end of the beach. (I forget what kind, but I think they are some kind of swallow or tern)…”

See, there you go again, Ian. You claim there are endangered species nesting at the south end of SPB yet you conveniently cannot name them. If this were true, then US Fish and Wildlife Service would have designated the area as "critical habitat" necessary for the recovery of those endangered or threatened species. Can you please direct us to the Federal Register listing where south SPB has been designated as "critical habitat" for ANY species – threatened or endangered? Of course you can't. Certainly, you realize that the brutal high tides at southern SPB would make it suicidal for any species, endangered, threatened or otherwise, to nest there. Thankfully, their well ingrained instinct for survival prohibits wildlife from making the fatal mistake of nesting at south SPB. And, fortunately for people who value recreation space, USFWS acknowledges this fact.

Ian, you have got to stop spreading this type of "misinformation". On the occasion when you do have a valid environmental concern, we won't know whether or not to believe you.

Anonymous said...

Shill for the city council all you want Ian, you still won't ever see a pot store in town!

Kathy Meeh said...

I suspect most of what Ian said, you agree with Anon (1228), but more information is needed for whatever habitat exists at Sharp Park Beach. Otherwise, what Ian has advised is good information as usual.

One thing. Other San Mateo county cities have enough money to provide at least 1 dog park for their citizens, and they have enough money to establish and maintain most of their city dog parks. In Pacifica the process has been drawn-out, with the POOCH citizens group attempting to raise money, and promising to maintain. Ultimately, it seems most of the money needed to establish the dog park will be paid by the city though a citizen's new-build Park tax. POOCH is currently paying $25,000 through donations to their organization. If you have a dog and intend to use the Dog Park (or not), you might want to get involved with POOCH-- these are good people who care about the protection and care of dogs.

Anon (1228) makes a point that beach or other access for dogs to run is needed. And, we live in a coastal town, dogs should have running access to some portion of our beach.

Seriously Anon (135), the dog health and socialization conversation has zero to do with "shilling for (divided) city council" or medical (health related) cannabis.

Anonymous said...

So the south end of Rockaway is perfect for a dog park. Really? Right next to the hotels and restaurants in a relatively small area that continues to be about the only area frequented by tourists. This is the perfect dog park location???
How do the Rockaway businesses feel about that? Ridiculous idea. By comparison, Sharp Park Beach is perfect. If there are endangered species at the very south end--and I seriously doubt that--that area and a buffer could be off limits. The adjacent levee is already dog walking central and has been for years. The beach is deserted much of the time. There is ample parking nearby. The location is ideal and could bring many dog-lovers to Pacifica, and if they can find something here to spend money on, they will. PB&R addressed the idea years ago and sent it to council who managed to not act because a council member didn't want to see the birds being chased. I kid you not. Nothing about protected species--just someone's personal bias. The idea was allowed to die and with it the potential for a great dog beach and added income for this town. With all due respect for Mr. Butler,
not all birds are endangered and we have got to find a middle ground on the use of these public recreation areas that is current, fair, and realistic.

ian butler said...

I don't pretend to be an expert on the birds at Sharp Park Beach, I was just passing on the reason that the site was already rejected for an off-leash dog beach. In order to designate a beach off-leash there has to be no threatened species issues. As for Rockaway, maybe that spot wouldn't work either, but at least it hasn't already been ruled out. Personally, I think the Rockaway businesses might benefit greatly by being a destination for dog lovers.

Anonymous said...

I would continue to question whether there are indeed any threatened bird species at Sharp Park Beach. Which species are listed and found at that site? Just speculating but I think business owners at Rockaway, particularly hotels and restaurants, would not welcome an off-leash dog park as a very close neighbor. Also, there isn't much parking at the south end of Rockaway Beach. Walkers and surfers take up most of it. Sharp Park Beach deserves a timely, honest, and open re-appraisal with all the facts on the table and no bureaucratic sleight-of-hand by council.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Butler, you have been misinformed about Sharp Park Beach and its suitability as an off-leash area.

Wooly Scooby said...

I think Mr. Butler may be guilty of a "take" of a species so endangered, it's extinct!


And Snoopy says "let my people run free!".

Anonymous said...

Snoopy, you the man.

Anonymous said...

Since when is it every tax payers problem to provide a few dog owners a place for their dogs to be off leash? When you adopt a dog, you have responsibilties and those who are pushing dog parks are just a bunch of bullies demanding that everyone else pays for what a few want. Try using your own backyard. If you don't have a backyard, get outside and get some exercise with your dog -- on a leash.

The leash law is in place to protect everyone. Your dog may be friendly, but not all dogs are. Its too late to talk about all that after your dog has been attacked and nearly killed by someone else's dog who was off-leash.

Snoopy Doggie Dog said...

"Its too late to talk about all that after your dog has been attacked and nearly killed by someone else's dog who was off-leash."

Hyperbolize much?

Anonymous said...

What about when someone's off-leash dog attacks and nearly kills YOU. Yes, it happened.

Snoopy Doggie Dog said...

It has never happened.

Anonymous said...

Snoopy Doggie Dog, an off-leash dog nearly killed my neighbor's dog right here, in Pacifica. "Hyperbolize much?" Not at all.

Snoopy Doggie Dog said...

An off-leash dog may have nipped your neighbor's dog as part of a friendly greeting. Saying your neighbor's dog was nearly killed is exaggeration.

Anonymous said...

Were you there Snoop?

Anonymous said...

Snoopy Doggie Dog, you are an ignorant fool.

Kathy Meeh said...

"An off-leash dog may have nipped your neighbor's dog as part of a friendly greeting."

Snoop (11/27, 11:40pm), not on our Beaches, but elsewhere with that "greeting" I've seen a big dog nip and kill a small dog. That "greeting" turned-out to be not so "friendly".

However, being careful with these "friendly encounter" issues, for the exercise and socialization dogs need, there still needs to be places for dogs to run on and off-leash. Its only fair.

Anonymous said...

Good enough. It could happen just that way.

Snooopy Doggie Dog said...

"Were you there Snoop?"

How could I have been there if it never happened?

Snoopy Doggie Dog said...

"Snoopy Doggie Dog, you are an ignorant fool."

You can sniff my dingleberries.

Anonymous said...

My my, this sounds very personal.

Anonymous said...

Does the word "troll" strike a familiar note?

Anonymous said...

DNFTT