Valley Park Emerges as Frontrunner for Hermosa's First Dog Park

The Hermosa Beach City Council on Tuesday will consider whether to advance a feasibility study for the city's first off-leash dog park, with Valley Park East emerging as the preferred location backed by both the community group Bark for a Park and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission.

The staff report asks Council to review the Commission's recommendation to further explore Valley Park East and a portion of the Greenbelt between Pier Avenue and 11th Street. Bark for a Park, the nonprofit advocating for the park, has identified Valley Park East as its top choice and offered to fully fund the design and construction.

The Valley Park East site sits east of the restrooms and south of the native garden, just below Valley Drive. The location can support up to 12,000 square feet with separate areas for large and small dogs, sits more than 200 feet from the nearest residences across Gould and Valley, and is already heavily used by dog owners. The site has natural shading, nearby parking, an ADA-accessible bathroom, and existing irrigation, lighting, and drainage infrastructure.

The report follows more than a year of process. Council directed staff to evaluate the proposal on March 11, 2025, after Bark for a Park's initial public comment. A subcommittee consisting of Commission Chair Barbara Ellman and Commissioner Elka Worner was formed in September 2025 and reviewed six potential sites, conducted on-site visits at dog parks in El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, and Redondo Beach, and met with Gaudet Design Group on January 21, 2026 to walk Valley Park and the Greenbelt.

ADA and Design Challenges

Staff and the Gaudet Design Group principal designer flagged accessibility as the most significant challenge at Valley Park East. Accessible pathways must have a maximum running slope of 1:20 and a cross slope not exceeding 1:48 under California Building Code. The designer noted Valley Park's hillside entrance could require significant grading, surface removal, and ADA updates to all pathways leading into the area.

The Public Works ADA consultant preliminarily determined that installing a dog park at Valley Park would require the city to construct an accessible path from dedicated ADA parking spaces and the public sidewalk to the dog park, bathroom, and water fountain, requiring reconstruction of the existing concrete path. California Building Code requires those paths to be at least 48 inches wide.

The same designer expressed confidence that the Greenbelt section would be feasible and identified it as the preferred site between the two locations considered during the January walkthrough. The Greenbelt route, however, carries a high procedural bar. The 1989 ordinance that established the Greenbelt requires a public vote to amend any provision, and Bark for a Park withdrew its support for the Greenbelt option on April 2 citing costs, mixed support, and uncertainty about whether a ballot measure could pass.

Public support but not without pushback

Public comment submitted ahead of the meeting runs heavily in favor of the project, with many residents framing the dog park as a long-overdue amenity in a city where most homes lack yards and where the Strand is the only realistic option for daily dog walking.

"Hermosa Beach has long lacked a designated off-leash dog area despite clear and growing demand from residents," wrote resident Adam Stoneman, calling Valley Park East "the most practical and appropriate location." Resident Dave Andrews described how dog walking creates daily community connection in Hermosa, and pointed to existing fees and enforcement that dog owners already pay without receiving any recreational infrastructure in return.

Several supporters live near Valley Park and pushed back on the idea that the proposed area is heavily used. Irina Gaal, who has lived a half block from the park for 25 years, called the proposed site "secluded, rarely used by anyone other than dog owners." Moira Nelson noted the park is already an informal off-leash meeting place and argued a designated area could be better regulated.

Opposition came primarily from residents living adjacent to Valley Park, several of whom said they support a dog park but prefer the Greenbelt location. Concerns cited included noise, parking pressure from Vista and Valley schools, and impacts on areas used for music classes, Shakespeare in the Park, and children's gatherings. Resident Laura Pena, who did not take a position on the project, urged Council to be transparent about ongoing maintenance tradeoffs given the city's fiscal pressures.

Resident Eileen Reardon was pointed in her opposition to the Valley Park proposal, arguing Bark for a Park selected Valley Park East specifically to avoid the cost of a ballot measure required for the Greenbelt. "That's not advocacy, that's how special interest groups operate," she wrote, calling for any dog park decision to go to a citywide vote.

Funding Offer

Bark for a Park has offered to lead and fully fund the comprehensive design and construction under a contract or MOU with the city, with Council retaining oversight. The group reported more than $70,000 in donations and pledges as of February 11, plus a matching grant of up to $250,000 contingent on the city partnering on its preferred location.

Construction costs for a 10,000-square-foot park range from roughly $72,000 for a basic build with chain-link fencing and grass surface to $233,000 for steel fencing with anti-microbial artificial turf and full amenities, according to the group's estimates.

The organization has verbally agreed to assume responsibility for all pre-development costs including architectural design, construction, supplies, permits, and inspections. Bark for a Park has requested the city assume full responsibility for ongoing maintenance after construction, including daily opening and closing, waste station servicing, signage replacement, and surface and fencing repairs.

The group has also proposed a partnership with the Lovejoy Foundation, a no-kill animal welfare nonprofit already working with the city, to incorporate adoption events and education programming at the park.

Other locations evaluated included Bi-Centennial Park, Edith Rodaway Friendship Park, the beach, and South Park. Bark for a Park inquired April 2 about a site at South Park, northeast of the restroom facility, but staff noted that area was beautified with Proposition 68 funding under a 20-year agreement and received West Basin Municipal Water District turf removal reimbursements. Any modification would require state approval and could trigger a return of grant funds.

Options Before Council

Staff has presented four options: direct preparation of a comprehensive feasibility report for a specific location; direct evaluation of multiple locations with comparative analysis; direct evaluation of an alternative location not identified in the report; or determine no location is feasible and discontinue evaluation.

Next steps for any approved location would include Public Works oversight on maintenance, local and county permitting, a design consultant for site planning, community outreach including a resident survey, and a full capital and operating budget analysis.