Park users who regularly walk their dogs on leashes in Jeffery Fontana Park have petitioned the city council to build a reserved, fenced-in area within the park that would set their tails a-wagging if approved.

"We had something like 300 members of the community who signed a petition to see if we could get a dog park in District 10," said Jo Coffaro, legislative assistant to Vice Mayor and District 10 Council member Pat Dando.

The parks department was asked to review the request and make a recommendation about where impact to the community would be low, she said.

Fontana Park has always been used heavily by dogs, Coffaro said, so adding an enclosed area where dog owners can unleash their dogs for exercise would not alter the park use.

A subcommittee met on Oct. 30 to review the plans that would be presented at the next public meeting, which will be held on Nov. 10 to determine if the neighborhood and park users can come to an agreement.

Among the issues to be discussed at the upcoming community meeting are concerns about safety, aesthetics, and the materials that will be used to create the park.

Rob Boyles, who lives near Fontana Park, sits on the subcommittee. He and his wife, Marcy, walk their dogs there and hope that they will one day have a place where their dogs can run free.

Some neighbors, however, have concerns over noise and worry that the dog park may attract additional park users, in turn creating parking problems on adjacent streets.

"We wouldn't necessarily be looking to grow the number of visitors," said Philip St. Pierre, a committee member who lives directly across the street from the park.

Sloppy, floppy-eared dogs that may seem cute and cuddly to their owners may appear unpredictable and dangerous to others.

"I can understand because it could cause apprehension," Boyles said. "Some people are afraid of dogs."

There are dog-owning neighbors who are on the fence about constructing an off-leash fenced-in area of the park.

St. Pierre is a dog owner and said he is in favor of a park, but with a caveat.

"I'm for a park amenity, not necessarily for a regional dog park. It is right-sized—an extension of the park."

Areas of the park are often used in the summer months by picnicking families or children, who play in the grassy areas, said neighbor Harsha Vyas, and she said she wouldn't want to see the children disadvantaged by the change.

"The park belongs to us all," she said. "I'm for the [dog park] as long as it is not an obstacle to other users."

Vyas said she would not take her dog, Raja, to the park because Raja has a disability with her hindquarters and has difficulty running, but she says she thinks a grassy area in the dog park would make for a softer running surface.

"Dogs like grass, too," she said.

The next community meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Nov. 10 at Guadalupe Elementary School.