Vote expected on dogs at Oceanfront Park

BOYNTON BEACH — After months of polling residents and researching pros and cons, the Boynton Beach City Commission is expected to decide today whether to allow dogs on the beach at Oceanfront Park.

Commissioner Joe Casello first brought up the idea in August and was met with both supporters and naysayers.

It appears the naysayers might prevail: The city’s recreation and parks advisory board is recommending the commission not pursue the idea.

The advisory board took into consideration results of a city-issued survey, residents’ comments at advisory board meetings and the technicalities of how the beach at 6415 N. Ocean Blvd. would be kept clean.

If Boynton rejects it, the city has other places for dogs to play: Intracoastal Park at 2240 N. Federal Highway; Jaycee Park at 2600 S. Federal Highway; Dewey Park at 100 NE Fourth St.; Boynton Lakes at 300 Boynton Lakes Blvd. and Officer Joseph Crowder Park and Dog Park at 800 Renaissance Commons Blvd. N.

And there are other beaches for dogs in Palm Beach County, including a popular one in Jupiter on Marcinski Road.

The Jupiter beach is an example for Boynton to look at, argues Felix Melendez. He said dogs should be allowed at Oceanfront Park as long as the owners pick up after them. He said the dogs shouldn’t be restricted to leashes.

Melissa Evans doesn’t think owners would clean up after their furry friends.

“People can’t seem to pick up their potato chip bags and beer bottles,” she wrote on Facebook. “I’m a dog lover and have a water-loving lab, for what it’s worth. There are places he can swim without bothering people. I don’t need to bring him to the public beach.”

The city did receive a positive response in a recent survey, said Wally Majors, the city’s director of recreation and parks. Majors said about 70 percent of survey takers said they were interested in bringing dogs to the beach and about 60 percent said they’d be willing to pay.

Casello said based on that information he plans to pursue the dog beach plan today.

But the residents who came to the advisory board meetings, while small in number, were against the idea, Majors said.

“They were concerned about the potential ramifications involved,” Majors said.

Other factors for the advisory board include the size of the beach — a smaller 960 feet — and the importance of a clean beach.

“That’s a very big challenge,” Majors said.

Even if the commission votes yes on the beach, the land is in Ocean Ridge, despite Boynton owning the beach, and the town doesn’t appear to be keen on the idea.

If the commissioners do want to move forward?

“Then we’ll have to investigate what to do next,” Majors said.