OCEANSIDE -- A proposal for two temporary dog parks brought out the emotions of Oceanside residents at a workshop Tuesday.

Whether residents were for or against the parks -- the majority of the roughly 25 attendees didn't want the parks in their neighborhoods -- they didn't hesitate to let their feelings be known.

"I don't think anyone in our neighborhood wants it," said Paul Weeks, who lives near a proposed temporary dog park in Marlado Highlands Park off Rivertree Drive. "It's just ruining a nice area with a dog park."

But the few dog park proponents shot back, saying the city has been searching for a place to put the park for more than five years before selecting those two sites nearly a year ago. The second proposed dog park is in Lions Club Park at Cassidy and Broadway streets near the beach.

"Any place that you put it, there's going to be someone that doesn't want it," said Bruce Willbrant. "It's a dog park. It's not building a space shuttle. The dogs cause less problems than most people."

Tuesday's meeting was the first of two public workshops scheduled to solicit comments of residents living near the proposed temporary dog parks. The temporary parks, which will encompass portions of the two existing parks for nine months, could eventually lead to a permanent dog park in the city.

The next meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Feb 25 in the community rooms next to the Oceanside Public Library, 330 N. Coast Highway.

The concept of an Oceanside dog park was originally proposed more than five years ago by then-Councilwoman Carol McCauley. The council had previously considered two locations for a permanent park, then rejected them.

In May 2003, the council voted to create a pair of nine-month demonstration sites as models for a permanent dog park in the city.

Nathan Mertz, the city's parks development coordinator, said the public meetings were the last steps needed to be taken before the dog parks could be finalized and opened. He said the city hoped to open the parks this year.

But Brian Fletcher and several other residents said the parks didn't fit in their surrounding areas, and others questioned why the city had to open temporary dog parks instead of just establishing a permanent one.

Fletcher, who lives near Lions Club Park, questioned why the city would put up a fence for a dog park when the park is currently filled with many dogs anyway. He said the fence would block access to the beach.

"I'm curious why there is a need to put up a fence when there are already dogs playing there," Fletcher said. "It's not a big area to start with."

Ben Scott, a dog owner who said he often uses the dog park at Larwin Park in Carlsbad, said Oceanside needs a similar park. But Scott said he didn't think a dog park was a priority for the City Council, and said the city's budget would make it tough to open dog parks this year, anyway.

The city's Parks and Recreation Department is proposing to reduce its budget by 10 percent this year, and could reduce it by as much as 25 percent if Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's $15 billion bailout bond fails on March 2.

"We need a dog park," Scott said. "(But) a dog park is not a priority right now."

Contact staff writer Rob O'Dell at (760) 901-4067 or rodell@nctimes.com.