By Mark Scheuer

Approximately 85 people attended a public meeting on Feb. 17 to discuss two proposals for fenced-in areas of Duboce Park. After a short presentation by Dan McKenna, superintendent of citywide services for the Recreation and Parks Department, everyone attending was given two minutes to comment and vote.

According to the department's dog policy, any park that is less than 10 acres requires a physical barrier for an off-leash dog area. Duboce Park is a little over four acres. Although natural barriers such as shrubs or bushes are desirable, current budget problems make maintenance impractical.

A group called Duboce Dog proposed establishing a dog play area in the eastern end of the park, surrounded by a barrier of 4-foot-high wooden bollards with three cables running through them. Rec & Park would pay, although McKenna said the system could be upgraded to decorative metal posts if the community was willing to pay the cost difference.

One proposal for a dog play area included the area from Steiner Street to the base of the hill near the Muni stop. A second proposal is smaller and included the area from Steiner Street to Potomac Street. Both proposals used Duboce Avenue as the southern border and the pedestrian path as the northern border. Both include amenities such as new benches inside the boundaries.

McKenna said that grass was the most difficult type of surface to maintain in a dog play area, but that larger areas offered the chance to close down one part of the lawn area for maintenance while the other part was still available for use.

Separately, various child advocates and neighborhood schools called for a fenced area that would allow only children and adults inside - dogs would not be allowed. This children's play area technically would be an extension of the existing playground.

Supporters proposed a nylon-coated, chain-link fence around the child play area to make sure that dogs could not easily enter the area. The money for the fence would come from next year's Rec & Park capital projects budget. (The fiscal year starts July 1.) Again, the community could upgrade to a more decorative fence at the community's expense.

McKenna mentioned a 5,000-square-foot area for the child play area near the park bulletin board, although proponents of the original idea had asked for a much larger area that included most of the western end of the park -the half-moon shaped grassy area from Pierce Street to near the Recreation Center. Most people in favor of the child play area said that a much larger area was needed and appropriate. McKenna said that he could reconfigure the space to make it larger.

After the presentation, everyone attending was given two minutes to voice their opinions or comments and vote. Here is an unofficial tally: Dog Play Area

• Yes - 31
• No - 17
• Plan A larger - 16
• Play B smaller - 8
• No size preference - 7

Children's Play Area

• Yes - 42
• No - 9

About 10 people chose not to comment and many people commented on just one proposal or the other. Some people expressed viewpoints or made comments that did not specifically indicate a "yes" or "no" vote. Most people in favor of fenced areas did not comment on the type of fence.

A stenographer recorded all opinions and comments. McKenna will review them and make a recommendation about the dog play area to the Dog Advisory Committee, which will discuss the proposal May 9, at 6:30 p.m., at the County Fair Building, 9th and Lincoln Way. The Dog Advisory Committee then will make a recommendation to the Recreation and Park Commission, which will make the final determination. The public is allowed to speak at both meetings.