Where will Sacramento build newest dog park? Council to vote on plan this week

Canines and humans, rejoice! A new dog park might be on the way to one of Sacramento’s favorite green spaces.

The Sacramento City Council on Tuesday will vote on a resolution that would fund the planning, piloting and, eventually, construction of a new off-leash dog area in William Land Park.

If approved, the city would funnel $200,000 from the Citywide Park Development Impact Fees toward the project. The money would allow staff to conduct community outreach and develop the potential site plan and final location for a permanent dog park at the park.

City staff drew up three designs and solicited community feedback. The most popular plan would place the park between 19th Street and Freeport Boulevard, adjacent to the golf course and across from Sacramento City College.

In the meantime, while the city continues planning for the permanent park, some of the funding would also be used to pilot the city’s first unfenced, off-leash dog park, also at Land Park. The unfenced model has been successfully implemented in other cities such as Davis and Portland.

This pilot park would likely launch in early 2024 after city staff choose a location. The implementation would include “pedestrian safety measures” around Land Park, as well as additional benches, a drinking fountain with a dog bowl and signage to designate the area and rules.

Given available funding, the city will continue evaluating more locations for off-leash dog parks throughout the city, such as in the Curtis Park neighborhood. This includes a potential expansion of Partner Park behind the Belle Cooledge Community Center in South Land Park.