Frequently Asked Questions
What is the agreement around the dog park usage between the City and MVWSD?
The City and District have a long-standing agreement whereby the City has developed, improved and maintains portions of many of the school district’s recreational areas in return for joint use of those areas for public parks, playgrounds, restrooms, and recreation. Cooper Park is one of those recreation area sites. There is no agreement specifically regarding dog park usage between the City and MVWSD.
Will the new dog off-leash area be fenced in?
Staff explored all options and locations to relocate the dog off-leash area within Cooper Park and concluded that a fenced area would provide the safest environment and most enhanced experience for dogs and park visitors. It will also reduce confusion about the boundaries of the off-leash area by clearly designating the area. Staff developed a community survey with the viable options for residents to vote on.
What would the surface be for a new fenced dog off-leash area?
If the dog off-leash area is fenced-in, we would leave grass as the surface.
What is the size of the current dog off-leash area at Cooper Park, and what are the sizes of the proposed fenced-in areas?
The current dog off-leash area is .81 acres. Location A is .36 acres, and locations B and C are .25 acres. These sizes could slightly vary during the design process. For reference, the city has three fenced-in dog off-leash areas including Pyramid Park (.33 acres), Rengstorff Park (.40 acres) and Shoreline Park (.51 acres).
Will the hours change at the new dog off-leash area?
The current dog off-leash area hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 6am to 10am. If the dog off-leash area is fenced-in, the hours would expand to Monday-Sunday from 6am to ½ hour after dusk – same as the park hours.
How do you decide where to create dog parks and how they should be structured? What are the requirements?
The City identifies and evaluates suitable and proposed areas based on the recreation uses, amenities, ingress/egress (access points), infrastructure, maintenance, function, surroundings, safety, and input received residents and partners such as the school district (if applicable).
What kind of enforcement is currently in place when dogs bother park visitors at the playground, ball field and tennis courts?
Park visitors should call Silicon Valley Animal Control at (408) 764-0344 to report problems and violations. This number is listed on the Dog Off-Leash Area signs posted in the park. Staff also suggests calling the Mountain View Police Non-Emergency number at (650) 903-6395. If the city were to remove the “Off-Leash Dog Area” sign from school district property, park visitors will be expected to follow park rules and regulations - including dogs must be on a leash. If the city were to install a fenced-in dog off-leash area at Cooper Park, it is anticipated that this safety amenity would reduce the number of reported negative interactions between dogs and park visitors, similar to the fenced-in dog off-leash areas at Pyramid, Rengstorff, and Shoreline Parks.