Sierra 2 Park Use Update

Sierra 2-Curtis Park Meeting & Survey Documents:

• Power Point from Sierra 2-Curtis Park Public, Amenities Survey Meeting - 2/09/2023
• Sierra 2 Survey Executive Summary - 3/13/2023
• All Raw Data from Sierra 2 Curtis Park Amenities Survey - 1/6/23

Public Meeting Questions and Answers FAQ Amendment (PDF) 
(Also find this FAQ Amendment, on this page, directly below the FAQ section)

Due to recent storms that have impacted the region and parks across Sacramento, the temporary popup dog park fencing is down. The park grounds will need adequate time to dry before the fence can be re-erected. Until the fencing is restored, YPCE asks for cooperation and voluntary compliance of the City’s park rules to ensure safety for all users.

The City of Sacramento is committed to providing access to the City's extensive parks and recreation system for all to enjoy. The Department of Youth, Parks & Community Enrichment maintains over 4,265 acres of regional, community-wide, and neighborhood facilities.

The Sierra 2 Park is a neighborhood park that features a soccer field, playground and other amenities in Curtis Park. More than 20 years ago, the City agreed to allow a dog training group from the Sierra Curtis neighborhood to use the park for dog training activities during specific hours. However, the park in its current state does not meet the requirements of a dog park for off-leash use and continued use presents health and safety issues that YPCE must address.

Over the years, the City has received multiple reports with concerns—including park access and safety for children—regarding off-leash dog use happening at all hours in the park. The park is not fully fenced in which creates an unsafe environment for both dogs and patrons to the park. Additionally, the current design of the park, including the size and amenities is not conducive for off-leash dog use.

To address these concerns and ensure the park remains a safe space for all residents to enjoy, off-leash dog use cannot continue under the current configuration of the Sierra 2 Park. YPCE understands this is a significant change in park use for some visitors and is committed to working with the community to educate on park rules and explore opportunities to enact other changes that address safety concerns at the park.

The City has equipment from a previous partnership with PetSmart and will install a popup dog park at Sierra 2 Park to allow residents to continue using the space safely. The temporary park will attach to existing fencing at Sierra 2 and includes a closed entry and exit. Residents are welcome to use this fenced area for all off-leash dog use, daily from dawn to dusk.

Dogs are allowed on leash at all City parks and off-leash dog use is also allowed at all 14 dog parks across the city. Dog parks—unlike neighborhood parks—are fenced with a double-gate system for safety. All dogs at City parks outside of designated fenced areas must be on a leash per City Code 12.72.060(k).

YPCE is exploring opportunities at parks in the Curtis Park neighborhood for potential renovations and the addition of amenities that meet the needs of users in the area.

YPCE solicited preliminary feedback on park use to inform potential renovations and amenities in the Curtis Park neighborhood through an online survey that closed on January 6, 2023. The survey data is currently being reviewed and staff will be holding a community meeting in the coming weeks to discuss feedback and next steps.

FAQ Information

1. Why is off-leash dog use changing at Sierra 2 Park?
   a. The Sierra 2 Park is a neighborhood park that features a soccer field, playground, and basketball courts. While the grass areas at Sierra 2 Park have been frequently used by dog owners as a limited dog training area, the park does not currently meet requirements to be used as a dog park for off-leash use. Sierra 2 Park is not designed to be an off-leash dog park which creates an unsafe environment for dogs and patrons using the park.
   
   

2. What will the changes at Sierra 2 Park look like?
   a. The City will install a temporary dog park at Sierra 2 to allow residents to use the space safely. Off-leash dog use will be allowed in the fenced areas of the popup dog park. All dogs outside the fenced area must be on a leash per City Code 12.72.060(k).
   
   

3. When will the temporary dog park be installed?
   a. Staff anticipate the equipment will be delivered to the park on Dec. 15. Set-up will require a few days and the temporary park is expected to be open for use on Dec. 19.
   
   

4. Are there restrictions on which dogs can use the temporary dog park?
   a. No, there are no dog restrictions.
   
   

5. What are the operating hours of the temporary dog park?
   a. The temporary dog park will be open daily from dawn to dusk.
   
   

6. How can the community provide feedback?
   a. An online survey was live for the community to provide feedback on their park use from Dec. 8, 2022 to Jan. 6, 2023. Staff will host a community meeting at a date to be determined to review the survey results and discuss future park use.
   
   

7. Where are the dog parks in the city?  (see below)

FAQ Amendment
Public Meeting QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Below is a list of some questions that were asked during the Questions and Answers portion of the community meeting on Feb 9, 2023.

1. Did outside groups help draft or write the survey?
   Staff developed the survey with input from the community and the Council Office.

2. What groups/venues distributed the survey?
   City distributed the survey through a blog post shared on the City’s news site and sent out through the City Minute newsletter. The blog post was shared on all City of Sacramento social media pages. A social media graphic promoting the meeting was shared to all YPCE social media pages and through the Councilmember’s pages. The blog post was also sent out to all YPCE registration system participants, the DogX group and the Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association.

3. Who responded to the survey, was this survey a representative sample, and quantitatively significant, how many residents received the survey, and why was the survey deadline not extended?
   This survey was voluntary and was open for all residents. Numerous stakeholders had input on the survey questions. The survey is only one tool the City plans to use to gain insight on the communities' needs. Future community opportunities include attending neighborhood association meetings to solicit input. We received 1391 responses. Some came from duplicate IP addresses. We culled duplicate results and reduced the data set to 1001 responses as reflected in the Executive Summary. The survey was open for 28 days from Dec 8 to January 6. The full raw data from the 1391 respondents is also available online.
   Please reference the survey results on the Sierra 2 Park Info Page: https://www.cityofsacramento.org/ParksandRec/Sierra2ParkInfo

4. At Sierra 2 or Curtis Park, what is the design and costs of the improvements to the future dog park? What amenities will be included and what will be the exact location?
   The cost will be determined once the scope of work is defined. As part of an Action Plan, the City will work with the community to develop several alternatives that address community concerns and share them with the community to receive additional input. Once an alternative is selected, a scope of work can be defined, a design developed and then costs can be calculated.

5. Is Curtis Park also being considered for a dog park?
   At this time both Sierra 2 and Curtis Park are being considered for a formal dog park based on survey results.

6. Why can't the Petco fence be reconfigured to encompass a larger area or be put around the tot lot so users feel safer?
   The park is a multi-use park accommodating many users. The City used an existing Petco fence we had in stock, which is a particular size fence. The Petco fence is a temporary solution, while the City develops an Action Plan. The City will work with the community to draft several alternative solutions/concept plans that address community concerns and share them with the community to receive additional input.

7. How many respondents live in the Sierra 2 and Curtis Park Neighborhoods?
   Curtis Park/ Sierra 2 Park are the closest parks for 80% of the survey respondents.

8. Will the City enforce the off-leash dog area?
   The City has asked for cooperation and voluntary compliance of the City’s park rules to ensure safety for all users. Enforcement focuses on education. With the installation of the pop-up park, visitors with dogs have the ability to use the enclosed area off-leash and any use outside of the temporary park must be on a leash. Park Safety staff will continue to educate visitors of the park on safe park use and if reports are received and park rangers are available, they will continue to visit the park to support these efforts. We encourage residents to report unsafe park use to 311.

9. What will be the next steps from here?
   The City will take 45-60 days to draft an Action Plan. Within 30 days the City will provide a status on the Action Plan development.

City of Sacramento Dog Parks

Arden Arcade

• University Dog Park – 1900 University Avenue

Central City

• Sutter’s Landing Park – 20 28th Street
• Truitt Bark Park – 1818 Q Street

East Sacramento

• Granite Regional Park – 8200 Ramona Avenue

Land Park

• Partner Park – 5699 South Land Park Drive

Pocket

• Lynn Robie Dog Park – 7895 Freeport Boulevard

North Natomas

• North Natomas Regional Park - 2501 New Market Drive
• Regency Community Park – 5500 Honor Parkway
• Tanzanite Community Park – 2220 Tanzanite Way
• Valley Oak Dog Park – 2780 Mabry Drive

South Natomas

• Barandas Dog Park - 2805 Grasslands Drive
• Blackbird Park Dog Parks – 3765 Hovanian Drive
• Glenbrook Park – 8500 La Riviera Drive

South Area

• Jacinto Creek Park – 8600 West Stockton Boulevard

Related Web Pages

• Visit the Dog Parks page and the Sierra 2 Park (Sierra 2 Green) page