The Mueller Neighborhood Association voted 74-31 Thursday evening to endorse expanding the Mueller Lake Park dog off-leash area from its current 0.4 acres to 1.2 acres, sending a formal recommendation to the Austin Parks and Recreation Department for inclusion in its 2027 capital improvement plan.

The expansion would extend the fenced dog area south along the lake trail, incorporating a currently underused grass strip between the trail and the stormwater retention basin. The proposal includes separate areas for large and small dogs, a drinking fountain, waste stations, and shade structures — estimated cost $340,000, which would come from the city's parkland dedication fees collected from Mueller developers.

The vote followed 45 minutes of public comment that revealed a neighborhood sharply divided not on the concept but on the details. Supporters argued the current dog area is dangerously overcrowded during peak hours, with 30 to 40 dogs in a space designed for 15. Opponents raised concerns about noise, wildlife habitat along the lake edge, and the loss of open green space for non-dog activities.

"I've been bringing my dog here since 2015 and it's gotten untenable," said resident Amy Torres. "Last Saturday I counted 38 dogs. Someone's going to get hurt." Several other speakers echoed concerns about fights between dogs and insufficient space for recall training.

Opponent Mark Reeves argued the expansion would remove one of the few open grass areas accessible from the south side of Mueller. "Not everyone has a dog," he said. "This is public park space, not a private amenity."

The association also voted unanimously to request that PARD conduct a habitat assessment of the lake edge before finalizing the expansion footprint, responding to concerns raised by the Mueller Lake Park volunteer stewards about nesting birds in the retention basin area.

Two agenda items were tabled for the April meeting: a proposal to add speed humps on Tom Miller Street and a request to the city for additional bike parking at the Aldrich Street retail corridor.

The next Mueller Neighborhood Association meeting is Thursday, April 24 at 7 p.m. at the Mueller community room, 4550 Mueller Boulevard.