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South City Park Happenings |
* PUBLIC MEETINGS *
concerning the OFF-LEASH DOG PARK proposal for CITY PARK
Perhaps you're aware of, or even attended public gatherings regarding the City's proposed use of City Park as a pilot program for off-leash dog exercise areas in certain city parks.
SCPNA Vice President Bonita Lahey attended a recent public meeting on this topic at the Cook Park Rec Center. Read her report below.
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Next General Meeting
Wednesday, March 17th
7 - 8:30pm
Montview Manor Penthouse
1663 Steele Street
Meeting Agenda: TBA
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UPCOMING MEETINGS ON THIS TOPIC:
Friday February 5th, 7 - 8pm
CHUN Community Center Meeting Hall, 1390 Williams
South City Park residents will meet with Cheesman Park residents who will share their learnings about the topic while the proposal was previously being considered for their park. Now, the Neighbors and Friends for Cheesman Park are following the topic out of their interest in all the City's parks. This is an informational meeting for our neighborhood, and any of you who can attend will be appreciated.
Tuesday February 9th, 6 - 8pm
Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Leprino Atrium (West Entrance)
The City Park Alliance is hosting a public forum and open house for neighbors in the City Park area to provide feedback to Denver Parks & Recreation's proposed Off-Leash Dog Park Master Plan, including a pilot program in City Park.
• Brief Presentation of Proposal
• Facilitated Question & Answer
• Facilitated Community Feedback
• Community Open House
Wednesday February 10th, 7 - 8:30pm
Montview Manor Penthouse, 1663 Steele St
This will be a Special Neighborhood Meeting where current SCPNA Members will vote on the topic. We will ask Block Captains and Security Building Contacts to distribute flyers about the meeting. Information from the recent public meetings will be shared.
Please note: A second vote will also be taken at this meeting, regarding support for a signage variance request, to the Denver Board of Adjustment, by the Lovely Confections Bakery at the southwest corner of Colfax and Steele.
The use of City Park as an off-leash dog park WILL affect the quality of enjoyment of the park as well as the neighborhood.
YOU ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND THESE MEETINGS and help SCPNA decide whether or not to support this proposal.
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Report by SCPNA Vice President Bonita Lahey
on the January 30th 2010 meeting at Cook Park Rec Center
concerning the OFF-LEASH DOG PARK PROPOSAL
I went to the Cook Park meeting about the dog park. There must have been over 500 people. It was primarily informational and once again, intentional or not, presented as if it had already been decided.
Here is what I learned:
City Park is scheduled to be the trial for a period of one year. The "off-leash dog park" hours would be from 5:00AM to 9:00AM and then 6:00PM to 10:00PM seven days a week.
There are four proposed areas under consideration:
1) The upper area in the east side of the park where the school buses park
2) The area by the Rose Garden where Open Air has proposed putting their event (interestingly enough this group from Parks and Rec was completely unaware of the Open Air issue)
3) The area on the SW side currently used as soccer fields on Saturday and Sunday mornings
4) the area west of the large playground.
All four are either near a biking/walking trail and/or by a playground.
I spoke to the gentleman has responsibility for the current leash laws. There are TWO people charged with enforcing the current lease laws in the entire City and County of Denver. There are NO plans to hire any additional enforcement and these people work from 8:30AM to 5:00PM and there are no plans to change their hours.
Basically, the answer was that there would be no additional enforcement and they want neighborhood volunteers to enforce the law.
There were also forms on which people could write comments - perusing about 100 of them, it appears that even people who are for the off-leash dog park want it fenced. I saw no one who wanted one with out a fence. I asked about fencing and the answer was "we don't have the money for infrastructure." I said that's interesting in that fence dropped out of nowhere around East High School so a liquor license could be given.
The other comments I heard (I was listening as others asked questions and commented) were:
The current dog parks are filled with dog waste - owners don't pick up and neither does the City.
Current dog parks are all dirt and concerns about grass lasting and waste was an issue.
Dogs have been attacked by other dogs and people have been bitten.
One question was raised about City Park being a bird sanctuary (which it was confirmed that it is) and what protections would there be for the wildlife - see the enforcement answer.
People seemed to be mildly for to mildly to vehemently against the proposal (especially without a fence).
The Parks and Rec people acknowledged that people might come from all over the city to City Park if it was a dog park - my concern is additional parking issues and noise issues of barking dogs at 5:00AM.
In a bit of irony, many people brought their dogs to this meeting even though the Rec center does not allow dogs (no enforcement) and in the hour I was there, there were three dogs fights, non-stop barking, and two people tripped by the dogs on leashes. To a person these people claimed there dogs were under "voice control."
I believe it is critical that SCPNA members and residents attend the meeting at DMNS on February 9th.
I then recommend that we have a meeting in February to discuss it and vote - we must have a vote on record, one way or the other, before the Parks and Rec proceeds. This is a chance to get out ahead of it.
Thank you,
Bonita
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