It’s been a dozen years since Capehart won out over Kate Sessions to become Pacific Beach’s only off-leash dog park.
Due to the recent drought and watering restrictions, as well as heavy usage by dogs large and small, Capehart’s two separate fenced-in areas have both been almost completely denuded of turf.
A push is now on to make both the small- and large-dog sections of Capehart, at 4747 Soledad Mountain Road, green once again.
The group, Friends of Capehart Off-Leash Small Dog Park, spearheaded by beach-area residents Ron McChesney and Chris Cott, have started a GoFundMe fundraiser to re-sod Capehart.
“Our goal was $2,500 and we raised $3,750 in about 48 hours,” said McChesney, noting the city’s Parks and Recreation Department just green-lighted their proposal to sod Capehart’s 5,700-square-foot little-dog section.
More than turf has been lost at Capehart the past couple years of drought.
“It’s not just a dog park – it’s a people park,” noted Cott, adding, “A lot of people aren’t coming any more because there’s no more grass and they don’t want their dogs to get all dirty and then have to wash them afterwards.”
McChesney’s lined up a company, Amsod of Escondido, which gave him an estimate of 33 cents a square foot to turf the park’s small-dog section.
Noting there are “100 or more individuals who use this park,” Cott pointed to the dusty plain of the small-dog section and said, “It wasn’t a golf course. But it wasn’t dirt either.”
On a recent afternoon, PB resident Veronica turned out with her dogs at Capehart.
Asked if she thought sodding the small-dog section was a good idea, she responded, “Why would anyone say no?”
When the cost involved and watering were mentioned, Veronica’s response was, “It’s only one dog park.”
Built for $632,000 and opened in 2004, Capehart, with its distinct large- and small-dog fenced-in areas, has since been the place for dog owners to let their pets strut their stuff. The off-leash park, however, continues to have its critics.
More than a decade ago when it first opened, detractors argued the park was neither wide enough, long enough or well-tended enough to be a top-flight off-leash park the community could be proud of. Ultimately, the attempt by dog owners to create an off-leash park at Kate Sessions was scuttled by a neighborhood petition drive opposing it.
Pointing out “everybody’s been anticipating this (turfing),” Cott said, Capehart was the first thing he thought of upon hearing strict state regulations governing watering during the drought had been relaxed allowing irrigation once again.
“Now we can move forward,” he said.
Besides turfing, McChesney pointed out fenced-in areas could use more concrete pads for chairs, that there is a need for more shade trees and sun umbrellas as well as more netting and permanently covered areas for the safety and comfort of guests. He and Cott have also brought in dirt themselves to plug holes made by gophers that threaten to hobble unsuspecting dogs.
The plan is now to do the small-dog area first, before tackling the larger-dog enclosure.
“We’re not trying to exclude the large-dog park area,” concluded Cott. “We just want to focus on the small-dog area first because it’s going to cost less money.”
Those wishing to learn more about the Capehart GoFundMe drive should visit gofundme.com/2j8nsvrp.