Mail carriers and dogs may be an unlikely match, but Moorpark city officials believe they can be friendly neighbors if a proposed dog park and post office are built in the city.

The Moorpark City Council recently met with city park and recreation commissioners to discuss the possibility of locating a dog park next to a post office proposed for the west end of High Street in the downtown.

The discussion was part of a joint meeting to determine goals and priorities for the city for fiscal year 2008-09.

Moorpark Assistant City Manager Hugh Riley said U.S. Postal Service officials have indicated they would like to lease city-owned land on High Street, south of Moorpark City Hall, for its new post office. The office would replace an existing facility in the Ralph's shopping center on Los Angeles Avenue.

Riley said postal officials have already met with city architects to determine how the post office can be built next to a new civic center, also proposed for construction near the current city hall.

Construction on the post office could start in December, he said.

City Manager Steve Kuehny said the post office would be built so its driveway would align with the future driveway of the new civic center, and there would be sufficient room on the west side of the facility to accommodate the dog park.

Mary Lindley, director of community services for Moorpark, said detailed plans for the dog park haven't been determined, since park commissioners were waiting to see if the location next to the post office was available.

She said the cost of the dog park could range from $20,000 to $55,000.

A lower-cost dog park would have no grass and minimal irrigation.

Park Commissioner Richard Stratton said a dog park is something many people in the community want.

"It's amazing how many people ask me about it," he said. "I didn't think it would be that big of a deal. If I'm at the store or at the gas station, people will stop me, and the first thing they'll say is When is the canine park coming?'"

Councilman Keith Millhouse supports a dog park but said he had concerns with the location because it is right next to railroad tracks.

Millhouse also had concerns about where the city would get the money to build the park.

"It's going to be a challenge to come up with funds. We're going to be hammered from Sacramento this year," he said. "It hasn't hit us yet. We can see some big cuts."

Riley said postal officials joked about the irony of putting a dog park next to a post office but were in favor of the proposal.