Written CommunicationsPRC Meeting
October 7, 2021
Written Communications
Item 5
Update on the Dog Off
Leash Area Trial at
Jollyman Park and Review
of the Administrative
Policy for Ongoing
Program
Moved bec#ary 009 -�
Kevin Khuu
From: Catherine Coe <cfcoe@comcast.net>
Sent: Thursday, October 7, 2021 5:37 PM
To: City of Cupertino Parks and Recreation Commission
Subject: Agenda item 5 - Jollyman DOLA
Attachments: Jollyman DOLAjpg
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Agenda item 5 at the Parks and and Recreation Commission meeting on 7 October 2021 contains a recommendation
from staff to prematurely move forward to end the temporary status of the DOLA program at Jollyman Park. They claim
that feedback has been positive.
As far as I know, no neighbors have been contacted to give their feedback. As one such neighbor, allow me to provide
you with some.
Dog owners continue their previous bad behaviors:
• As soon as they reach the edge of the park on Tuscany, many people unclip their dog's leashes and allow their
dogs to run unleashed to the DOLA area. Some owners coming from the Stelling side of the park also frequently
unleash their dogs as soon as they hit the grassy area, well outside the DOLA area.
• Dogs are frequently found exiting the DOLA area and running onto the baseball infield. This is, in some cases,
encouraged by owners who throw balls there for their dog to chase.
• During the winter months when the fields are closed due to excessive water and the DOLA area is clearly
designated as closed, dog owners continue to congregate and allow their dogs to tear up the turf.
• There are many, many times when the DOLA area is used outside of hours, most frequently by individuals or
small groups. This often occurs at lunchtime.
• Until the past few months, the boundary markers were moved 10 to 20 feet closer to the baseball diamond,
expanding the DOLA area. Any time they were placed in the correct position, they would be moved back within
24 hours and stay that way for months
• The hours remain problematic. Since sunset is a moving target, times are determined by parks and rec. As far as
I can determine, there is no effort to communicate these hours officially. I am on the DOLA mailing list with the
city and have never seen any such notice. I have observed, however, that a time set in the Spring to
accommodate sunset is way inaccurate for the height of summer.
The DOLA was supposed to be self policing and monitored closely by the city. This is clearly not happening. A local group
of "dog lovers" had used this ares illegally for years, and yet were rewarded by a trial of an off leash area. They were
given one, and from day one have pushed the boundaries and ignored the rules. I firmly opposed moving forward with a
recommendation to take this to permanent status, and request that the city more closely monitor the hours of usage,
the compliance with the boundaries (both placement of the markers and dogs outside of the designated area), and
observance of closed field conditions, At a minimum, the standing date of July 2022 will allow this to happen.
The DOLA makes the park less friendly, both to people and to leashed dogs. My family declines to use the park any
more, despite our proximity to it (the cul-de-sac on Tuscany Place).
Attached please find a photo of the so-called compliance. The boundary markers are moved, there is a dog well outside
of the area, and it is clearly more than an hour before sundown.
Catherine Coe
1025 Tuscany Place