City sows deal with park users

Elise Gee

COSTA MESA -- The City Council decided Monday to turn on the sprinklers

at the city’s Bark Park and allow whatever’s out there to grow.

The decision was met with cheers, claps, whistles and woofs of approval

from dozens of dog owners, who dressed in green and toted signs to show

their support for grass.

According to a compromise reached between the council and users of the

park, the city will allow users of the park to plant the turf in exchange

for an agreement from the Bark Park volunteer committee to maintain it.

The city will not pay for any grass, just for a new sprinkler system.

The Bark Park volunteer committee already has plans to contact turf

companies and offer the park as a site to test grass hardiness.

“Well it would give them a good test,” said Councilwoman Libby Cowan.

Cowan spearheaded the compromise along with Bark Park committee president

Maryann Marks.

“This is kind of a concession,” Marks said. “They’re saving money and

we’re getting the turf we want.”

The Bark Park committee also will be required to form a nonprofit

organization before the city begins construction on the sprinkler system.

One man who would not identify himself said he thought the Bark Park

committee sold itself short by not holding out to get the city to install

the turf at its own expense.

But most dog owners appeared to be happy, even joyous, after the meeting.

“That was a good compromise,” said Bill Davidson. “If it was going to be

a golf course, I would have said ‘Yes, we should have waited.”’

Park users have lobbied aggressively since August to get the city to

abandon the idea of installing mulch -- touted as being cheaper and

easier to maintain -- instead of grass.

Dog owners complained that mulch was sometimes undiscerniblefrom dog

feces, that it causes splinters and that it attracts fleas and flies.

Helping to maintain the park is nothing new to Bark Park users, who have

raised between $6,000 and $10,000 annually to improve the park.

Dodie Braun, a Costa Mesa resident, hugged Marks after the meeting to

show her thanks.

“Guido thanks you, too,” Braun said of her Chihuahua. “He’s a happy dog.”