The off-leash dog park at Orinda Oaks Park is nearly finished. Most of the fencing is up, although gates are still required. On a sunny day in April, a small dog named Paddington had the whole place to himself, and he made the most of it. Brought by his owner James Case, he romped and sniffed and wondered where they keep the marmalade sandwiches. 

    In fact, the park has a nice picnic area adjacent to it, with a water fountain for both dogs and people, and picnic tables in the shade of the old oak trees. There is nearby parking too. Case hopes that now that the dog park is near completion, more pet owners will bring their dogs there.

    After a successful pilot program, the Orinda City Council decided to make the dog park a permanent feature.  Last month the council increased the funding for the park by $28,000 to pay for the fencing and concrete work, in addition to the $45,000 already appropriated for the park. 

    The dog park area is approximately 1/3 acre, and it will be fenced with a five-foot-high black vinyl coated chain link fence. Gates will be included, and an accessible path will lead to a double-gated entry for both the large and small dog areas. 

    The fencing and concrete contracts are within the city manager’s signing authority, so the council action was limited to increasing the appropriation of budget. Total cost for the fencing and concrete installation is $73,000. There will also be appropriate new signage for the park.

    The remainder of Orinda Oaks Park remains as open space.  The park spans the hilly space between Moraga Way and Donald Drive and borders Moraga’s Mulholland Ridge Open Space.