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October 27, 2003
Parks & Rec Meetings
Just to let everyone know, our meetings with the Parks & Rec Department are going great. We are scheduled to open Grand Rapids first public off-leash area sometime this spring!
The Grand Rapids Dog Park Enthusiasts are being represented by Dottie Rhodes, Dave Kagan, Stacy Spitler, Judy Bean, Rachelle Thatcher and myself, Gwen O'Brien.
Click on the extended entry below to review some of the documents that were exchanged in our meetings.
Recommended Off-leash Area Rules
1. Always clean up after your dog.
2. Dogs must be current on all shots and display proper tags including current identification information, license and rabies.
3. Supervise your dog closely; never leave your dog unattended. Dogs must be under your voice control at all times.
4. No dogs younger than four months allowed because of inoculation requirements.
5. No more than three dogs per owner.
6. It is recommended that all dogs be spayed or neutered.
7. If your dog becomes unruly or plays rough, please leash him/her and leave immediately.
8. Fill in any hole your dog digs.
9. No smoking or food in the off-leash area.
10. For safety reasons, please remove pinch and spike collars before entering.
11. Please supervise children closely at all times.
12. Owners are liable for any damage or injury inflicted by their dogs.
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Our Recommended Wish List
In order of priority:
1. Must be located in a safe location that is not isolated
2. One to three acres surrounded by a secure 5’ to 6’ fence
3. Entry -- double gated (Entry areas receive the most wear and need special treatment to keep from becoming winter mud holes; wood chips, gravel or even concrete may be needed)
4. Regular maintenance of the area including routine mowing of the grass
5. Shaded area (If there were no trees, then some sort of shelter would work)
6. Covered garbage cans with regular trash removal
7. Plastic bag dispenser stations
8. Adequate nearby parking
9. Seating
10. Water
11. Some level of minimal lighting for after dark (winter months) usage
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From the Parks & Rec Department
A review of the eleven site priority items, provided by the committee, spurred some practical questions as we attempted to assess specific sites. In addition, a review of some of the materials provided by Committee members yielded several additional items staff wished to include in site evaluations.
In reviewing the eleven priority items, we chose to remove from the site evaluation criteria several items we felt would/could/should be part of any location – or not add significant costs:
4. Regular Maintenance
6. Covered Garbage Cans
7. Plastic bag dispenser stations
9. Seating (picnic tables would be supplied from inventory)
We also chose to add several items for consideration, based on information from other communities:
1. Under utilized area – The potential location shouldn’t replace a facility that currently exists and is utilized for other purposes.
2. Avoid natural or wildlife areas – We have parks such as Aman, Huff, Garfield Park Nature Center that are established to serve as natural preserves.
3. Minimize conflicts with other park users – We would not want to locate the facility immediately adjacent to a playground, soccer or baseball field, etc. to avoid unnecessary conflicts.
4. Sufficient distance from residences – To avoid potential conflicts with neighboring residents, we would want some buffer between the facility and homes.
Finally, in applying the selection criteria to specific sites it became apparent that we needed to make some assumptions on site specific locations within a park. We also had to try to define some items more thoroughly. Examples:
1. Must be located in a safe location that is not isolated. How do we define “safe”? Do we use crime statistics or look at design elements that would provide visibility and accessibility, yet not be “on top of” neighboring residents.
2. One to three acres. We chose to start with the one acre concept.
3. Existing shade. Was this to be shade within the enclosed off-leash area or in the park itself? We chose shade nearby as qualifying.
4. Water. We assumed the availability of water was for dogs only and thusly did not have to meet the same potable standards as for human consumption.
We will review this site evaluation process, briefly, at our next meeting. We will apply it to several sites on the list to illustrate issues or decisions that can influence an eventual selection.
Posted by Gwen at October 27, 2003 10:55 AM