Future Of Permanent PMMC Facility On Laguna Dog Park Land Under Scrutiny

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — The Pacific Marine Mammal Center is looking to turn its temporary field hospital into a permanent facility by using a portion of the Laguna Beach Dog Park, drawing criticism from both the dog park and the neighboring Laguna Food Pantry.

Now, the Laguna Beach City Manager's Office is trying to hammer out a solution that suits all three nonprofits.

"The intention is to facilitate a working group with representatives from each of the stakeholder groups and in the area and see if we can reach a solution," Assistant City Manager Jeremy Frimond told Patch.

Presently, the city is working to determine whether or not there are any deed restrictions on the parcel of land, which Frimond said requires tracking down and documenting acquisition and grant agreements for the dog park land entered 30 years ago.

The PMMC has been leasing roughly 15,000 square feet of the dog park's 2.64 acres for the last three years while renovations are made to its main facility, the notable red barn neighboring the park just up Laguna Canyon Road.

The temporary field hospital currently houses sea lions and seals, with work on the red barn being expected to wrap up in April.

Center officials at the PMMC asked city leaders to consider allowing the field hospital — which cost $1.5 million to build — to remain in place for the foreseeable future, citing an increase in changing patient needs.

"It’s been our intent since day 1 to return the area to the dog park, as was intended," PMMC CEO Glenn Gray said. "Along the way, Mother Nature changed some ideas — [this has] to do with the number of rescues, responses and patients that we deal with."

Gray cited last year's unexpected period of toxic algae blooms, which sickened hundreds of sea lions up and down the Southern California coastline. The sharp increase in patients and emergency responses had PMMC treating an all-time high of 500-plus patients last year.

"This last year was the 4th consecutive year of the [toxic algae] bloom, so if you wind things back to when we designed our first center and when we asked for this space to be temporary, we were dealing with the old norm — not the new norm," Gray said.

Critics of the request include the Friends of the Laguna Beach Dog Park, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the city's dog park, and the Laguna Food Pantry.

Executive director of the Laguna Food Pantry Anne Bellier said the nonprofit is also "strongly opposed" to allowing PMMC the space permanently.

Bellier advocated for annexing a portion of the 15,000 square feet for the pantry's use.

"Giving PMMC permanent use would limit the city in seeing how the property could be best used by the entire community," Bellier said.

David Finch, a volunteer with the Friends of the Laguna Beach Dog Park, said that while the dog park empathizes with PMMC's need for more space, they are not in agreement that the space occupy dog park land.

"Our feeling is, if the city wants to repurpose this 15,000 or 12,000 to the PMMC or food pantry, that sounds like a wonderful idea — those nonprofits are worthy," Finch told Patch. "However, there is also a list of other nonprofits that would like 15,000 feet of our space. If you re-purpose out that land to PMMC, how can you say no to other charities?"

"We feel it would be a fundamental betrayal of the lands public purpose. This park is gifted for the community."

While Finch retains that the Friends of the Dog Park are strongly opposed to any permanent nonprofit facility being built on their land, he added that regardless of the outcome — the nonprofit wants to be a part of the solution.