Regarding dog parks:
Blah Blah Blah... once again, Palo Alto debates an issue to death and accomplishes nothing. Draw straws, pull parks out of a hat... Just DO SOMETHING

San Francisquito Creek is a bird-haven year round including for breeding birds. If Palo Alto really needs a dog park, place it where there is currently mowed grass nowhere near forested areas so that you aren't impinging on wild life already being harmed by the City's developments such as an airport and housing at the Baylands. Stop and think of the consequences on the natural reserves we need to protect.

Why should the rest of us subsidize dog owners?

There have been N. PA dog park proposals considered by the City, then dropped due to neighbors’ objections. Even dog owners often don’t want a dog park adjacent to them with the downsides they bring.
Blaming the City is misplaced.

Re: @Anne: for the same reason that we subsidize playgrounds for people that have children, golf courses, tennis and pickleball courts for those that play those sports, etc.

/marc

A section of Foothills Park would also serve as a terrific dog park.

Anne's comment is sarcasm, right?

As a non-dog owner, I would LOVE a north Palo Alto dog park. With so few places for dogs to go off leash, it currently results in every park being a dog park. The Addison Elementary custodian cleans up dog poop every morning, so kids don’t have to step in poop at their own school. A couple weeks ago someone took their dog’s full poop bags and flung them onto the edge of the roof of the school. At Heritage Park, it’s hard to have gatherings at the park tables because off-leash dogs are constantly sniffing around at any food. If you gather on picnic blankets, the groups of dogs run right through. Hopefully the dogs are friendly, but with small kids around, I do get nervous. Adding a dog park downtown would help everyone!

Anne, do you think everything that the city does should only benefit you and your family? If you don't plan to have a fire in your house or car, should the city sell off its firefighting equipment?