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LA City Council Committee Approves Proposal To Open Dog Park At Cabrillo Beach

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The Los Angeles City Council will now consider a proposal to open a dog park at Cabrillo Beach after a committee voted in its favor Monday.

Members of the Arts, Parks, Health, Aging and River Committee are looking into the idea of putting the park on the harbor side of the breakwater near the port of Los Angeles.

The non-profit group Heal the Bay has been testing the water in the area for more than 20 years. Most of the time, it has been found to have high bacteria levels.

"That site has been on our beach bummer [list], meaning the 10 worst beaches in the state of California, for the past 12 years," Heal the Bay's Jame Alamillo said.

About three years ago, residents asked Councilman Joe Buscaino to find a spot for a dog park in the area, with the idea to repurpose the beach and get families, especially kids, out of the water.

Heal the Bay says the water doesn't appear to be harmful to dogs.

"We're saying these dogs would act as a barrier to keep families out of this inner Cabrillo Beach.  The outer Cabrillo Beach is an amazing beach," Buscaino said.

The city has spent about $20 million through the years to clean up the beach. The source of the contamination has never been pinpointed.

The proposal now goes before the full City Council for consideration.

(©2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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