Concerns about litter, noise, odor, mud and the frequency of emptying waste bins were raised, but there were no “significant operational issues” discovered during a pilot project that saw the city’s two fenced-in dog parks locked overnight.
That’s the crux of a city staff report regarding the six-month effort, which wrapped up Thursday, meaning dog parks at Bristol Street and Peter Misersky Parks will no longer be locked overnight beginning Friday.
“City bylaw and parks staff will continue to monitor use of both fenced dog parks as part of their existing operational scheduling and logistics, and will address acute matters on an as-needed basis,” states the report. “However, utilizing Bylaw staff to lock and unlock the gates each day is not a sustainable model as it reduces the ability of our bylaw team to respond to other more urgent matters.”
During the pilot project, city staff locked the dog parks at 9 p.m. each night and unlocked them at 7 a.m. the following morning.
If council decides to restart the initiative, it will cost $25,000 annually, the report notes.
During the pilot project, staff were made aware of a number of complaints from park users and neighbours – particularly with regard to noise at Peter Misersky Park.
Less frequent complaints relate noise from the gate latching, damage caused by gate users, heaving posts and slippery areas.
“Depending on the issue, these concerns were dealt with as quickly as possible or delayed for more permanent resolution by city staff,” said the report. “Moving into parks summer operations, both fenced dog parks will be operated in a manner that includes regular and as needed emptying of waste receptacles, sanitization of portable toilets located on site, regular infrastructure inspections, regular litter collection, and inclusion in the city’s mowing program.”
