Plans for a permanent off-leash dog park in Carpinteria have moved forward following a unanimous Planning Commission vote early last week.

The vote marks a big win for Carpinteria Dog Owners Group (C-DOG), which has long advocated and fundraised for a safe, public place for Carpinterians to take their furry friends.

“The residents that I’ve talked to are really excited about what (the park) will look like,” C-DOG co-founder and treasurer Lorraine McIntire said at the Nov. 2 meeting.

The city had initially set up a temporary off-leash dog area in a portion of the city’s El Carro Park in 2020. That pilot program ended in 2023 after complaints from neighbors about noise and dog waste.

Temporary metal fencing was set up along the southeastern corner of Monte Vista Park in April 2024 to allow dog owners to use a roughly 15,000-square-foot space while plans for a permanent setup underwent review.

The city has granted the temporary program extensions. The current temporary permit is set to expire in April 2027.

It is currently the only place within city limits where dogs are allowed off-leash.

C-DOG volunteers monitor the site, alongside the occasional help from city Code Compliance officers.

The temporary fencing will remain in place until construction on the permanent park begins, per city planner Megan Musolf.

She added that the city has not received any noise-related complaints to date about the temporary program.

Under the plans for the permanent park, the temporary fencing would be replaced by 5-foot, black, powder-coated aluminum fencing.

That fencing will be built so smaller dogs cannot squeeze or dig underneath it, per Musolf.

The city’s Architectural Review Board in July had recommended that the fence height be increased to six feet, but the city staff found that it was cheaper to keep the fence height at 5 feet.

Staff also found that other cities around California have 5-foot fences around their dog parks.

Separate areas would be built for small and large dogs, as well as off-leash transition entry space and ADA-accessible concrete walkways both inside and outside the dog park.

Any dog less than 30 pounds is generally considered to be a small dog, per city staff.

Dog bag stations, dog-bone-shaped benches, drinking fountains and trash cans would be included. Landscaping will be done along Pandanus Street to help create a visual buffer between the park and the neighboring condominium complex.

The human visitors will be able to use the restrooms, parking and utilities already at the park. There are 20 parking spots available for park visitors and nearby street parking.

Staff had explored adding parking along the western edge of the park, but found it was too narrow due to a nearby easement. Next to the park is the proposed site of the 196-unit Bailard Avenue multifamily housing project.

Similar to the temporary park, the permanent park would be open daily from 7:30 a.m. until 30 minutes after sunset.

The dog park would be maintained and serviced on the same schedule as the rest of Monte Vista Park.

That maintenance contract for mowing, gopher abatement, and related activities is already funded and would continue to be funded whether or not the dog park was there, per Parks, Recreation and Community Services Director Jeanette Gant.

All dogs at the park must be licensed, vaccinated and wear identifying tags.

Dogs must be supervised at all times — with a maximum of three dogs per handler — and must be leashed when outside the gate.

The preliminary project budget is roughly $200,000, according to city Community Development Director Nick Bobroff.

Roughly $150,000 is allocated from already-collected development impact fees, known as Quimby fees, and $50,000 in community donations collected by C-DOG.

These monies will not come out of the city’s general fund, staff explained. Quimby fees are one-time fees that must be used for eligible park projects.

To save money, the city could swap out the bone-shaped benches for simpler benches or elect for a chain-link fence, which would be $42,000 compared to $79,500 for the alumnimum fence, Musolf said.

The City Council on Monday approved a funding application for a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant, which could cover part of the project.

The grant requires a 50% match. If the city is approved for the grant, it would pay for the costs up front and be reimbursed.

The final park plans and project budget will ultimately go before the City Council because it is a city project, per Bobroff.

Supporters of the park, sporting C-DOG gear, showed up to the Planning Commission meeting in droves. Many said they regularly use the temporary park.

C-DOG President and co-founder Van Fleisher said a C-DOG survey showed that most park attendees are there for less than an hour.

He said dog owners are also largely there during the workday when nearby residents of Villa del Mar and Casitas Village are not using the parking spots.

He described the dog park as a “magnet” and a social hub for both humans and their pups.

“It is a safe place to be,” he said. “…This has been a big success.”

Planning Commissioner David Allen said he hopes the permanent dog park will encourage community members to use the park and not exercise their dogs off-leash in places where they aren’t legally permitted to, like the bluffs.