Proposed Dog Park at Hayward Park
Summary
The board's dog park subcommittee has narrowed its site search to Hayward Park, a 33,540-square-foot underused trail park, with roughly $500,000 privately pledged through the Monterey County Foundation. Neighbors strongly oppose it, citing the park's deed restriction to hiking and biking, trail safety, wildlife, and unclear maintenance plans. The board tabled the discussion until July while it gathers community data.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 8
- Last 30 days
- 0
Last discussed Aug 27, 2026.
Impact analysis
The project would be 100% privately funded at roughly $500,000, though the city could face ongoing maintenance costs.
Dog owners, including seniors and people with limited mobility who can't use off-leash trails, plus local dog-friendly businesses.
Neighbors near Hayward Park and trail users who value the wide, open hiking and biking corridor.
Mentions & discussions (6)
Recreation Board — August 27, 2026
Advocates say Hayward Park is barely used and would make a great dog park, with funding and hundreds of signatures behind the idea. Neighbors worry about noise next to homes and question whether a deed restriction limits the land to trails and non-motorized biking. The board says no location decision is on the table until the community survey weighs in.
Recreation Board — July 23, 2026
Residents are pushing hard for a dog park, collecting about 130 petition signatures and winning Chamber of Commerce support. The board may fold dedicated dog park questions into the citywide recreation survey to gauge demand.
Recreation Board — June 25, 2026
The board's dog park subcommittee has narrowed its site search to Hayward Park, a 33,540-square-foot underused trail park, with roughly $500,000 privately pledged through the Monterey County Foundation. Neighbors strongly oppose it, citing the park's deed restriction to hiking and biking, trail safety, wildlife, and unclear maintenance plans. The board tabled the discussion until July while it gathers community data.
Recreation Board — April 23, 2026
A privately funded dog park is proposed at neglected Hayward Park next to Hayward Lumber, but neighbors 100 feet away object to noise, waste, traffic, and property impacts. The board wants the subcommittee to study alternative sites like Rip Van Winkle, noise guidance, and volunteer maintenance before moving forward.
Recreation Board — February 26, 2026
Neighbors near Arnett Park turned out in force to oppose a dog park there, citing eight-space parking lots that fill every weekend, barking echoing through the former quarry 'canyon,' a dead-end street with no sidewalks, and homes just feet from the proposed fence line.
Recreation Board — January 22, 2026
After years of discussion, a dog park for Pacific Grove now has a committed donor and organized community support behind it. The board endorsed the idea but flagged real site questions at Arnett Park — parking crunches on game days, a dead-end uphill access street, and a drainage swale — and wants neighbor outreach and more site analysis before recommending a specific location.
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