EAGER TO BE FREE; DOG OWNERS LOOK FORWARD TO LEASHLESS PARK.

Byline: Kevin F. Sherry Daily News Staff Writer

Waiting for the new dog park to open is a lot like waiting for grass to grow.

Actually, that's exactly what's holding up the project.

``I'm trying to get the grass to grow,'' said Greg Johnson, the Calabasas community services director. ``That's my main concern. . . . If it turns into a mud pile, it's not going to be any fun for any of us.''

Once the grass grows on the one-acre lot, benches will be brought in and water fountains for both humans and dogs will be installed.

Until then, Johnson will continue to field the three to five calls he gets daily from pet owners asking when the $25,000 park will be ready for off-leash frolicking.

``I'm probably looking at sometime in March if I'm really lucky,'' he said.

The park - which will be leased for $1 a year from the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District - is the brainchild of resident Catherine Valeriote.

``It's a small town where somebody can walk into City Hall and make something happen,'' Valeriote said.

Valeriote started her quest three years ago to establish a park where dogs could run and play untethered.

``What got me motivated was I got a ticket for having my dog off-leash,'' she said.

Honey Bear, her 6-year-old golden retriever, hopes to end his life of crime and run free in a place where he can meet other dogs - away from traffic hazards, Valeriote said.

``Running is what they really need,'' she said. ``I can throw the ball and he can run around.''

The dog park will be located at 4232 Las Virgenes Road, next to the water district headquarters, a remote area where dogs will have little impact, said spokeswoman Arlene Post.

``We try to be a good community partner,'' Post said. ``It's making good use of a compatible resource.''

Valeriote and Johnson visited several Southern California dog parks to get an idea how to operate one in Calabasas. Johnson said they visited two parks in Santa Monica, one in Redondo Beach and one in the San Fernando Valley.

``I took pictures, I took notes,'' Johnson said. ``I did quite a bit of research.''

The Calabasas dog park will feature a fenced-in area where parents can place young children in strollers while their dogs run free. Unsupervised youngsters and aggressive dogs will not be welcome, and no one may bring more than three dogs at a time, Johnson said.

Pooper scoopers and trash containers will be available, but dog park users typically police themselves, Valeriote said.

``You get the people who get to be kind of regulars,'' she said. ``Other people are not reluctant to speak up. They will have the guts to enforce the rules.''

The only downside to the park is that it could be too popular, Valeriote said.

``It's taken a long time to happen, but every step of the way people have supported it,'' she said. ``I just hope I don't get a ticket in the meantime.''

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Photo

PHOTO (Color) Honey Bear, a 6-year-old golden retriever, enjoys some loving attention from Catherine Valeriote at Gates Canyon Park in Calabasas, where the pair frolic while awaiting completion of the city's first leash-free dog park.

Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Special to the Daily News