A beloved dog park in Yuba City is set to close. Off the Leash Dog Park is on Wild River Drive just off Garden Highway and is the only dog park in the surrounding area. The nonprofit that runs the dog park has been leasing the land it sits on from Caltrans for more than a decade. Recently, their board of directors said they were given a 90-day eviction notice. “We got a phone call from the person who was from Caltrans to let us know that a letter was coming. We haven’t received the official letter yet, but it’s confirmed that it is coming to us and that we will have a 90-day eviction notice,” Donna Johnston, the secretary for Off the Leash Dog Park, said.Johnston said they have been leasing the dog park’s five acres of land from Caltrans for $100 per year.At the beginning of this year, she said the Department of Transportation sent a letter to their board of directors letting them know their rate would increase to $1,790 per year. “Upon reviewing this file, it was noticed that the current lease expired on August 31, 2024. Per our policy, we have to enter into a new lease in order to continue leasing this property. The state is required to update the rental rate and complete a new rental determination, we are no longer allowed to discount rents as directed by our manual and Head Quarters. A new rental rate was performed, and the new annual rental rate was determined to be $1,790.00 annually. I understand that this is an increase in rent but we have been directed to rent at fair market value without bias and preferential treatment,” the letter from the Department of Transportation to the Off the Leash Dog Park Board of Directors reads.”We were surprised by that. We don’t even have that kind of money in the bank right now,” Johnston said. Johnston said when they reached back out to Caltrans to see if they could do a monthly payment on the increased rental rate, they got even more news they weren’t expecting. “The next thing we heard was a 90-day eviction notice,” she said. Caltrans told KCRA 3 it has been directed to sell the land as part of its Excess Land process. Caltrans defines excess land as “property that Caltrans originally acquired for a transportation project or other operational need such as a maintenance station. The property becomes excess when the Department determines that it will no longer be necessary for a transportation project or other operational need.”Caltrans said it had initially bought the property in 1993 for a potential future bridge project. But that project never happened, so they no longer need it.“The lease with the dog park was up for renewal, and per standard procedures, Caltrans provided notice that the lease would not be renewed in order to proceed with selling the property. Caltrans has been directed to sell the parcel as part of its Excess Land process. At this time, there are no specific plans for the property beyond its sale. The decision to sell the parcel was made at the management level, and the Right of Way/Excess Land team followed standard procedures in issuing the lease termination notice,” Megan Reese, public information officer with Caltrans, said. Johnston said it’s been difficult to tell residents the park could be in its final days. Many people ask what they can do to keep the park open. “A lot of people are very upset. Want to know what they can do, how we can keep this treasure that we have here,” Johnston said. “There’s a huge community of people that would love to help,” David Brown, a dog owner who frequents the park, said. “I think, right now, we don’t know what to do. Like if it’s a matter of money, then I think everyone’s willing to chip in.”“If that’s what it takes is, you know, a certain amount of money to keep the park open. Everybody is willing to donate and put their money together to keep this dog park because this is so important,” Ace Earhart, a dog owner who frequents the park, said. “It would be devastating if we didn’t have this park.”According to the Caltrans website, excess land is sold at auction. Under certain circumstances, it may be sold directly to adjoining property owners or to public agencies.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
A beloved dog park in Yuba City is set to close. Off the Leash Dog Park is on Wild River Drive just off Garden Highway and is the only dog park in the surrounding area.
The nonprofit that runs the dog park has been leasing the land it sits on from Caltrans for more than a decade. Recently, their board of directors said they were given a 90-day eviction notice.
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“We got a phone call from the person who was from Caltrans to let us know that a letter was coming. We haven’t received the official letter yet, but it’s confirmed that it is coming to us and that we will have a 90-day eviction notice,” Donna Johnston, the secretary for Off the Leash Dog Park, said.
Johnston said they have been leasing the dog park’s five acres of land from Caltrans for $100 per year.
At the beginning of this year, she said the Department of Transportation sent a letter to their board of directors letting them know their rate would increase to $1,790 per year.
“Upon reviewing this file, it was noticed that the current lease expired on August 31, 2024. Per our policy, we have to enter into a new lease in order to continue leasing this property. The state is required to update the rental rate and complete a new rental determination, we are no longer allowed to discount rents as directed by our manual and Head Quarters. A new rental rate was performed, and the new annual rental rate was determined to be $1,790.00 annually. I understand that this is an increase in rent but we have been directed to rent at fair market value without bias and preferential treatment,” the letter from the Department of Transportation to the Off the Leash Dog Park Board of Directors reads.
“We were surprised by that. We don’t even have that kind of money in the bank right now,” Johnston said.
Johnston said when they reached back out to Caltrans to see if they could do a monthly payment on the increased rental rate, they got even more news they weren’t expecting.
“The next thing we heard was a 90-day eviction notice,” she said.
Caltrans told KCRA 3 it has been directed to sell the land as part of its Excess Land process.
Caltrans defines excess land as “property that Caltrans originally acquired for a transportation project or other operational need such as a maintenance station. The property becomes excess when the Department determines that it will no longer be necessary for a transportation project or other operational need.”
Caltrans said it had initially bought the property in 1993 for a potential future bridge project. But that project never happened, so they no longer need it.
“The lease with the dog park was up for renewal, and per standard procedures, Caltrans provided notice that the lease would not be renewed in order to proceed with selling the property. Caltrans has been directed to sell the parcel as part of its Excess Land process. At this time, there are no specific plans for the property beyond its sale. The decision to sell the parcel was made at the management level, and the Right of Way/Excess Land team followed standard procedures in issuing the lease termination notice,” Megan Reese, public information officer with Caltrans, said.
Johnston said it’s been difficult to tell residents the park could be in its final days. Many people ask what they can do to keep the park open.
“A lot of people are very upset. Want to know what they can do, how we can keep this treasure that we have here,” Johnston said.
“There’s a huge community of people that would love to help,” David Brown, a dog owner who frequents the park, said. “I think, right now, we don’t know what to do. Like if it’s a matter of money, then I think everyone’s willing to chip in.”
“If that’s what it takes is, you know, a certain amount of money to keep the park open. Everybody is willing to donate and put their money together to keep this dog park because this is so important,” Ace Earhart, a dog owner who frequents the park, said. “It would be devastating if we didn’t have this park.”
According to the Caltrans website, excess land is sold at auction. Under certain circumstances, it may be sold directly to adjoining property owners or to public agencies.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
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