Moody Park is going to the dogs – but some residents feel the location of a new off-leash area bites.
On Monday, council approved the creation of an off-leash area for dogs near the entrance to Moody Park at Sixth Avenue and Eighth Street. Locations near the Moody Park south field (at the rear of Century House) and next to the outdoor lacrosse box at Eighth Avenue and Eighth Street were also considered.
“This is a great idea,” said Coun. Chuck Puchmayr about the location selected. “It is a nice size, it is a nice area.”
Puchmayr, a resident of the Moody Park neighbourhood, said discussions about an off-leash dog area have been taking place for about three years. While this wasn’t a location he had originally considered, he believes it’s a “great location” for area residents, including seniors, to take their dogs.
“Most dog owners are very responsible,” he said about concerns about the location near the playground.
Coun. Bill Harper, who also lives in the Moody Park neighbourhood, doesn’t support the establishment of a dog park near the main entrance to the park. He doesn’t like the idea of having fencing along a main path through the park.
“Some people may think that is OK,” he said. “I don’t.”
Harper opposed Option B, a space outside the youth centre and next to the playground that’s set to be renovated. He preferred the option that would have seen an off-leash area created area near Eighth Avenue and Eighth Street.
Coun. Mary Trentadue believes a dog park is needed in the area, but was concerned about the optics of locating it beside the park’s entrance and next to the children’s playground. Trentadue, who also lives in the neighbourhood, suggested the area near the lacrosse box is preferable.
According to a staff report, the city received 212 responses to a survey about the preferred location for an off-leash area in Moody Park: 45.28 per cent supported the chosen location at Sixth Avenue and Eighth Street; 28.77 per cent chose the location west of the playground and south of Century House (near the youth centre); 16.04 per cent wanted the location next to the lacrosse box; and 9.9 per cent didn’t support any of these options.
Diane Perry, the city’s manager of community development, said there was a lot of opposition to the idea of creating an off-leash dog area near the lacrosse box. In addition to concerns that the banging of balls would scare dogs, she said people were also concerned it would eliminate an area for kids to practice while waiting for the lacrosse box to become available.
Coun. Patrick Johnstone said an off-leash dog area is important for Moody Park because there’s no place in the Uptown, Brow of the Hill or Moody Park neighbourhoods where dogs can run off leash. He noted the location closest to the Moody Park entrance was the most supported option during the consultation process.
Dean Gibson, the city’s director of parks, culture and recreation, said all three of the locations considered for Moody Park are smaller than most off-leash areas in the city. Option A, which is the largest of the three areas considered in Moody Park, would result in the second smallest off-leash areas in the city.
Two Moody Park residents appeared at Monday night’s meeting and asked council to defer consideration of the staff recommendation pending further consultation.
Christopher Bell, president of the Moody Park Residents’ Association, said the group voted 15 to zero in opposition to the proposal, primarily because of concerns about its proximity to the playground. He said the city should further consult with residents to find a more appropriate space in the park
Bell suggested the city should fix issues that plague the city’s other dog parks before creating a new off-leash area with the same problems.
Gibson said the off-leash dog area would be separated from the playground by a pathway and changes in elevation.
Moody Park resident and dog owner Debby McKenzie feels the city can find a better site for an off leash park. She said the proposed location is too small to throw a ball for a dog, is located at the key entrance to the park and is too close to the children’s playground.
“It is not safe,” she told council about its proximity to the playground. “I would hate to hear of something happening.”
