Hermosa Beach Dog Park Plans: Nearby Runs and Valley Park East

"We don't have a backyard," Brian Arterburn told The Beach Reporter this month. "The beach is illegal. Can't do that. And the parks we have are unfenced and near roadways."

Arterburn moved to Hermosa Beach three years ago from Austin, and he summed up a daily routine shared by many dog owners in a town where open ground is scarce. The fix being discussed now no longer looks like a citywide argument about where a dog park could go. It has narrowed to one site, the eastern edge of Valley Park, with a set price and a donor match attached. The council has already done most of what it needed to do to get this far. The calendar from here depends on how fast the money comes in.

What six feet of leash covers in Hermosa

The city's rules are short, and they mostly say where a dog can't go. Hermosa's animal control guidance requires a leash at all times, no longer than six feet, with the handler in full control. On top of that rule, dogs are banned outright, leashed or not, from:

• The sand, at all times, except for service animals
• The Hermosa Beach Pier
• School grounds
• Any restaurant, market or business that sells food or drink
• Sea View Parkette and Fort Lots-o-Fun

The Strand is open to dogs on a leash, and owners pick up after them. Pier Plaza, Pier Avenue, the Greenbelt, Clark Field and Valley Park aren't on the banned list, so the citywide leash rule applies there. Put together, a Hermosa dog can walk almost anywhere in town, but it can't legally run loose anywhere in town.

That gap affects a lot of households. Bark for a Park, the nonprofit pushing for a local run, estimates there are more than 3,000 dogs in the city, about one for every six residents.

Every off-leash run nearby is in another city

So a Hermosa dog's off-leash time starts with a drive or a long walk across a city line. Here are the closest options, based on what each city lists:

If you're heading to Redondo midweek, plan around the Wednesday morning closure. And if you're used to the off-leash beach in Long Beach, know that nothing like it exists on Hermosa's two miles of sand.

Staying in town matters to some owners for reasons beyond the dog. Brian Schoening lives in Manhattan Beach near the Hermosa line. He told The Beach Reporter that he and his dog currently go up to Marina del Rey and spend their coffee and lunch money there, and that he'd rather "stay local and play around here."

How the search narrowed to one corner of Valley Park

Over the past 21 months, the question has gone from "where could a dog park go?" to "can this one site get funded?" Here's how that happened:

1. January 2025. Bark for a Park launches with a signature campaign. By August 2026 it has more than 1,700 signatures.
2. September 2025. The Parks, Recreation and Community Resources Advisory Commission creates a Community Dog Park Subcommittee to evaluate sites.
3. May 12, 2026. The City Council approves feasibility studies for a section of the Greenbelt and the eastern part of Valley Park. The council doesn't support Bi-Centennial Park, Edith Rodaway Park, or a beach area at Herondo and 11th streets.
4. July 28, 2026. An effort to put a Greenbelt dog park on the November ballot fails. Because the Greenbelt is designated for open space and passive recreation, a park there would have needed a ballot measure, and the cost of a citizen-sponsored initiative was part of the problem. The same night, the council approves an agreement with Bark for a Park to move forward with the feasibility study for both sites.
5. September 30, 2026. At a "Wine and Wags" benefit at Uncorked, Bark for a Park chair Carla Buck says Valley Park East is the site the group is pursuing with the city. "We actually really love Valley Park East," she said.

City staff gave a balanced read on Valley Park at the May meeting. Senior recreation supervisor Brian Sousa listed the advantages: existing pathways, open green space, restrooms, a parking lot and drainage already in place. He also named the concerns: Americans with Disabilities Act issues from uneven surfaces and steep slopes, plus possible noise.

Bark for a Park's answer to the noise concern is about location. Buck describes the spot as shaded, at least 250 feet from the nearest neighbor, and backed by a wall that, with added hedging, the group expects to dampen sound. She has also acknowledged that not everyone will like the design and said the group is listening to concerns.

The size and the price

The proposed park would be 10,000 to 14,000 square feet, which Buck says is less than 3% of an area that's "relatively unused." For comparison, Redondo's three-acre run is about 130,000 square feet, so the Hermosa plan would be roughly a tenth of that size or smaller. A run that small fits inside an existing park without taking it over. It works as a place for a daily off-leash break, not a destination that pulls dogs in from across the South Bay.

The group's concept page sketches the details. It calls for separate areas for big dogs and for small or timid dogs, dawn-to-dusk hours, seating, water fountains and ADA access, with St. Augustine grass or artificial turf as possible surfaces. Treat that as a proposal. None of it has final approval.

Design and construction together are estimated at about $560,000. An anonymous donor will match every gift of $100 or more, up to $250,000, and Bark for a Park needs to raise about $230,000 as its share. The group has raised nearly all the money for the design phase. Because of the match, a $100 gift counts as $200 toward the project. Gifts under $100 don't trigger the match.

The rule that sets the timeline is simple. "We can't move forward unless all the funds are raised for construction," Buck said. The group hopes to work out the Public Works backlog so the project could reach construction "maybe by the end of next year." As of this month, that means late 2027, and it's the group's goal, not a city commitment. The October 2 report didn't mention an upcoming council hearing or published feasibility findings.

October 30 on Pier Avenue

The next public event is the Howl-O-Ween Treat Stroll, which Bark for a Park is hosting on Pier Avenue from 3 to 6 p.m. on Friday, October 30. No route or list of participating businesses had been published as of October 5. Since Pier Avenue isn't on the city's list of dog-free areas, the stroll can run there with dogs on six-foot leashes.

If you're planning stops around town, a dog-friendly map shared by Bark for a Park lists a few local spots. It says The Green Store at 2151 Hermosa Avenue welcomes dogs on its patio with water and treats, and it calls Good Stuff at 1286 The Strand dog-friendly for dining. The same map lists Yellow Jersey Patisserie at 133 Hermosa Avenue and Ka Huelo Bakery at 1123 Aviation Boulevard as places that offer dog treats. City code bars dogs from inside any business that sells food or drink, so these visits happen on the patio or at the door.

J.B. Anderson, who grew up in Hermosa, gave a small, specific reason the Valley Park site appeals to him. A relative lives nearby and has a dog. "I could walk over there, pick up her dog and take her out," he said.

At The Stucker Group, we're watching the Valley Park East plan the way many of our neighbors are. If you're a Hermosa dog owner thinking about a move, we're glad to talk through which streets are a short walk to Valley Park, the Strand or any of the runs listed above.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.