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Politics & Government

Albany Bulb "Ain't Broke," Say its Dog Lovers: Scores Push Back on Proposed Leash Laws

Nearly 100 people crowded Albany's City Hall on Thursday night to protest new leash laws officials are considering from the parking lot to the Bulb in the city's waterfront parkland.

Dog lovers of all stripes dominated City Hall on Thursday to speak out against that would require leashes from the parking lot out to the Bulb, along with a slew of other new regulations.

Dogs would still be allowed to roam off-leash on the , the west end of a landfill peninsula at the end of Buchanan Street. 

City officials said they were not there to discuss Albany Beach, which is state park land, and therefore already technically off-limits to dogs. There is no enforcement of these rules however, and the beach has become one of the area's .

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They also said there would be no action taken at the meeting, which was essentially a study session and workshop. The City Council ultimately will decide the Bulb's fate, they said. 

The Feb. 10 meeting was the first of three upcoming discussions on the subject, although the Waterfront Committee has been discussing the changes in open meetings for two years. The next session is scheduled tentatively for March 2. (Sign up for city meeting alerts here.)

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During two hours of often emotional public comment, punctuated by clapping and cheers as the self-proclaimed "dog community" supported each other's words, dog owners and Bulb lovers tried to explain why the changes seemed to many to be simply a waste of time.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it," said Marcia Grossman of El Cerrito. "The Albany Bulb is perfect just the way it is, as a multi-use urban state park." 

A handful of people who said they supported the new laws, but the vast majority of those who attended said the best solution would be to leave the Bulb alone. Many came from surrounding areas, such as El Cerrito and Berkeley, to speak about the area's natural beauty and the commitment the dog community has made to care for the area. 

Albany residents, too, said they love having a place as unique and beautiful as the Bulb that they can access easily.

Anne Milkie of Albany said she has been going to the Bulb four to five times a week for about five years. 

"I pick up trash daily, as do many people. We are very self governing," she said. She urged officials to be sure to include clear signage and instructions, whatever their decision, adding that she wasn't sure there was a need for more rules throughout. "Don't penalize the whole area because you want to be consistent."

Many spoke about the Bulb's unique, inspiring quality.

Berkeley resident Ruth Bird read from a poem she wrote several year ago about the park: "We need outlaw places. Places where dogs run free / and surprises happen. Unexpected lizards scurry / from sun-warmed rocks, rebar juts, unreinforced / climbs hone our reflexes, hummingbirds flash and loop, goldfinches and house finches ("california / redheads") summer, sweet alyssums startle our / noses, and art happens, like it or not."

Officials said they decided to consider the regulations for two main reasons. Many Albany residents, said Waterfront Committee member Francesco Papalia, don't feel comfortable visiting the Bulb because of unruly dogs, rebar, garbage and the resident homeless population. 

"The issue is about not letting one group monopolize the area," he said. "I have heard from people who feel disenfranchized from their own waterfront, people who are easily intimidated by dogs, and large dogs off-leash. They go down and have a single bad experience with off-leash dogs, and they're not going to go back there."

Papalia also said officials wants to bring the city's dog rules for the Bulb in line with state and East Bay Regional Park District regulations. All three groups have a stake in the park, which is scheduled to be turned over to the state at some point in the future. (When this might happen is unclear, as the changes necessary for the transfer are lengthy and expensive.)

Officials and members of the public alike pointed out that existing dog regulations on the Bulb are not enforced. , the city's community development director, said this is largely because there are no resources in place to pay for regular patrols. 

Many citizens said it didn't make sense, then, to add more regulations, that also are unlikely to be enforced. 

Many in the audience pleaded with officials not to require leashes from the parking lot, along the Neck, which leads to the Bulb. 

Some members of the audience said requiring leashes in this area would put an unfair burden on the elderly and disabled, for whom that area is a crucial space to let their dogs exercise.

Kendra Smith, 87, of Berkeley, said she has trouble reaching the area that is proposed to stay off-leash, which she described as "also very steep."

"People over 70, 80, are growing part of the population," she said. "Keep that in mind. It would be awfully difficult if I didn't have that off-leash area [up through the Neck]....

"By the way, I found a poop bag in my pocket," she continued, in reference to concern officials expressed about owners not picking up after their dogs. "It's always there."

Officials said it would be important to protect access for groups with limited mobility. Waterfront Committee member Brian Parsley also pointed out that language protecting service dogs needs to be added to the ordinance.

Norman La Force, Sierra Club activist, and former chair of the Bay Area chapter, was one of the few who spoke strongly in support of more regulations on the waterfront. He said that, though the group wasn't represented in the meeting, many in Albany feel uncomfortable about visiting the Bulb.

He pointed to the "devastation and impact other urban animals do to birds in areas like this," adding, "I hope you will resist the temptation to go with the flow here [and adopt the new rules]."

He added that his preference would be to see the "whole Bulb protected" as a bird sanctuary with "no dogs allowed."

Caryl O'Keefe, who said she has attended years of meetings about the waterfront, spoke in support of stronger regulations, citing friends and neighbors who have had "unfortunate experiences" with unruly animals and "given up on the Bulb."

"Make the rules consistent," she said. "The group that doesn't use the waterfront... is scared of a number of things. But you have to start somewhere."

Parks & Recreation Commissioner Heather Cunningham summed up the purpose of Thursday's meeting.

"What we're talking about tonight is, moving forward, how to make the waterfront safe and clear for everyone," she said. "Essentially, to help make dogs nice neighbors" for other users of the waterfront.

What's Next?

Thursday's meeting was jointly hosted by the city's Waterfront Committee and the Parks & Recreation Commission. The Waterfront Committee has been working to craft the policy, but the commission ultimately will make a recommendation to the City Council, which will make a final decision on the matter later this year. 

MORE RESOURCES

See all materials related to the ordinance in the PDF section above. Miss the meeting? Watch it online via KALB 33.

CORRECTION: Norman La Force is the former chairman of the Bay Area chapter of the Sierra Club. His title was out of date in the original article.

If there's something in this article you think should be corrected, or if something else is amiss, give editor Emilie Raguso a ring at 510-459-8325 or shoot her an e-mail at emilier@patch.com.

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