A proposal to put a dog park on a portion of Hamilton K-8 School’s campus has prompted Fresno Council President Annalisa Perea to schedule a town hall meeting for community input.

The meeting will be from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Monday at the school, 102 E. Clinton Ave., in central Fresno.

Principal Jahmaal Sawyer said Wednesday that the site proposed for a dog park is on the northeast corner of the campus in an area already fenced off at the back end of the baseball field. The area is not now open to or used by students, he said.

Sawyer said he has raised some concerns about the dog park idea, which he would not discuss with GV Wire before next week’s town hall.

Access to the school campus, which is fenced off to provide security to students and staff, would be reviewed, as would be the responsibility for cleaning up dog poop.

More Dog Parks Needed

Fresno’s older neighborhoods have struggled for years with a lack of park space and amenities like dog parks.

Perea, who lives nearby, said she sees dog walkers daily.  “And their biggest complaint is, ‘We have no destination. We’re just simply walking our dog around. It’s great to have a park for families to congregate, but it would be nice to have a place to congregate outside with our animals, as well,’ ” she said.

There have been many requests for a dog park in the Tower District and other older, developed sections of the city, Perea said.

“We’re just trying to get creative with space and the lack thereof within the confines of this territory,” she said.

Monday’s town hall meeting is the first step in taking the temperature of the school community and neighborhood residents for a dog park at that location, Perea said.

If the city did move forward on the proposal, it would need a memorandum of understanding with the school district similar to the blue space agreements to use school pools during the summer. The city would design the park to keep kids safe, including adding and heightening fencing and creating slatted fencing to give the school privacy, she said.

More Security for Neighborhood

Converting the site would require funding that could come from Measure P, Perea’s District 1 infrastructure fund, a grant, or some other source, Perea said.

And the benefits of a new dog park would go beyond providing Fido a place to stretch his legs.

“One benefit that the neighbors liked, if this did turn into a dog park, it would be on the stop list of our park rangers, so we would in essence be increasing security at this corner by having more dedicated eyes on the street,” she said. “That was something the neighborhood liked.”

If Hamilton turns out to be unsuitable, Perea says she’s open to suggestions about other potential sites.