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Receipt and Filing of Report on the Maintenance at The Boneyard.
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Meeting Date: May 5, 2026
Contact Person/Dept.: Adam Ferguson/PRCS
Phone Number: (310) 253-6685
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No []
Attachments: Yes [] No [X]
Public Notification: (E-mail) Meetings and Agendas - Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission (04/30/2026); (E-mail) Parks, Recreation & Community Service Department Updates (04/30/2026)
Department Approval: Adam Ferguson, PRCS Deputy Director (04/28/2026)
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Parks, Recreation, and Community Services (PRCS) commission receive and file the report on the maintenance at The Boneyard.
BACKGROUND
Culver City Dog Park, also known as “The Boneyard”, is an off-leash dog park spanning a little over 1 acre equipped with benches, lights, trees, and water fountains. It has decomposed granite (DG) floors and is broken into two separate areas for small and large dogs and a smaller enclosure for a one-time, time-out. The City worked alongside the Friends of the Culver City Dog Park (FCCDP) to officially open the park on April 22, 2006.
The FCCDP was formed in 2001 to support the development of a dog park in the City. In June 2003 the City was awarded a $50,000 assessment grant and $200,000 clean-up grant from the EPA for soil remediation. Fundraising, community events, and planning efforts led to City Council’s approval of new dog park and rules ordinances, along with approving an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the FCCDP to negotiate directly with a contractor to build the park in December 2004. In July 2005, the City entered into an agreement with ValleyCrest for the construction of the dog park and groundbreaking took place July 23, 2005. Final inspections occurred in February 2006 with finishing touches completed in the months leading up to the grand opening in April 2006.
As the only dog park in the City, the Boneyard is a vital community asset, where Culver City’s canine citizens and their friends can experience a clean, safe and vibrant environment.
DISCUSSION
During the PRCS Commission regular meeting on February 2, 2026, Michael Haase spoke on items related to the maintenance of the dog park as well as the fence separating the large and small dog enclosures. The PRCS Commission asked staff to report back on the maintenance and historical retrospective of the dog park.
Maintenance Practices
Staff perform routine maintenance at the dog park three times per week, which includes the following:
• Pick up all waste and dispose in cans (M, W, F)
• Remove can liners and replace, as needed (M, W, F)
• Wash trash cans, as needed (W)
• Clean and check all drinking fountains and drains (M, W, F)
• Wipe/clean all benches, signs and plaques (M, W, F)
• Remove all weeds (M, W, F)
• Trim all hedges, plants, and trees, as needed (M, W, F)
• Remove all dead leaves and branches, as needed (M, W, F)
• Fill all low spots in DG, as needed (M, W, F)
• Check all plants and trees for water (M, W, F)
• Report any dry or wet areas to Irrigation Department (M, W, F)
• “Screen drag” all DG areas, smooth with tractor/screen, as needed (M, W, F)
• Check all common areas for safety issues/hazards and cleanliness (M, W, F)
The dog park was closed from January 28th - 29th for maintenance. The scope of the work included:
• 10 cubic yards of DG were placed to infill the eroded slopes.
• DG was removed between the lower fence and wall along the south side of the park and removed from the surrounding oil pump enclosures.
• DG surfaces were finely graded for safety.
• Benches, shade structures, drinking fountains and miscellaneous objects were pressure washed.
• Old concrete blocks were removed around the trees, eliminating tripping hazards.
• California pepper trees were trimmed up.
• Old signage and illegal advertisements were removed from fencing.
During the closure the following items were identified as necessary repairs:
• The drinking fountain was rusted and needed replacement at the park entrance.
• The short-split rail wood fence (large dog area) is broken and needs replacement. A temporary metal barrier was installed against the existing fence to prevent injury or falls until the new fence can be installed
• Two tension cables on the chain link fence between the large and small dog areas were found to be broken. Exposed wires were trimmed to prevent injuries, and a fence company was contacted for this repair work.
• During the renovation, the chain link fence between the large and small dog areas was damaged by machinery in multiple places. When the work was completed, the fence mesh was touching the decomposed granite surface without any significant gaps or holes.
• Sandbags were added to the fence line at existing gaps caused by the fence “rolling” up on itself. Fence repairs are pending.
Upcoming Maintenance Plans
Staff have received quotes for the identified repairs to the fences and are working with the contractor on revising and finalizing the scope before the work proceeds. The split rail wood fence mentioned above will be replaced with a faux wood concrete split rail fence. Staff is also working to replace the three existing signs to improve the aesthetics and hope to complete the sign replacements by the end of May.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
The maintenance for The Boneyard is part of our Parks Division Budget, general fund account 10130300
ATTACHMENTS
None.
recommended action
MOTION(S)
That the Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Commission:
Receive and File the Report on the maintenance of The Boneyard