Proposed Dog Park Master Plan public Meetings

Proposed Dog Park Master Plan public Meeting

City & County of Denver
Department of Parks and Recreation
Notice of Public Meeting regarding
Proposed Dog Park Master Plan

Notice is hereby given that the Denver Department of Parks and Recreation is holding a public meeting on proposed draft recommendations for the development of a Dog Park Master Plan and Policy Recommendations for Denver Parks.

Public input on the draft recommendations will occur on the following dates:

January 16, 2010
Scheitler Recreation Center at Berkeley Park
5031 W 46th Avenue
9:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m.

January 30, 2010 at
Cook Park Recreation Center
7100 Cherry Creek Drive South from
1:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. 

Public feedback will be taken into consideration in creating the final recommendations. A copy of the public meeting materials and ability to comment will be available after January 16th at the Denver Parks and Recreation website www.denvergov.org/parksandrec.

February 9, 2010 at
Museum of Natural History
6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

1. •dog master planning and policy recommendation process From Denver Parks and Recreation Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR) is in the process of kicking off a Dog Park Master Planning & Policy Recommendation Process.  The ultimate outcome of this process is intended to foster healthy relationships between dog owners, non-dog owners, and all park users.  This includes improving Denver’s parks and open spaces to support and accommodate all users in a healthy, sustainable environment. 
   

2. •This City-wide effort will evaluate and examine Denver’s current pilot dog parks, provide design options and recommendations (site specific), as well as provide enforcement recommendations.  Internal and external committees will provide recommendations and help guide the public process.  Public meetings also will be held City-wide for community input.  Out of this effort, the Parks and Recreation Department also hope to establish community involvement and on-going partnerships with off leash dog areas and dog parks. 
   

3. • There were nearly 3,800 responses to the survey ending April 30, 2009
   

4. •Timeline: May-August
   

Regular Internal Technical and External Stakeholder committee meetings

Develop draft master plan recommendations and policy recommendations

September-November

Public input meetings to solicit feedback on draft recommendations

Process and document public input

Develop final  master plan document and policy recommendations

From the July 2009 Parks and Recreation Newsletter

Denver Parks and Recreation has selected 15 people to serve  on its External Stakeholder Committee regarding the dog park Master Plan and Policy recommendations.

 

The External Stakeholder Committee is comprised of (2) members from Parks and Recreation Advisory Board; (3) members from the Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation (INC); (15) citizens (dog owners, non-dog owners, trainers, vets,; and (1) appointee from City Council.  The role of this group is to act as a sounding board to the planning process and to provide feedback on proposed plans, policies, and recommendations developed by the City and the Internal / Technical Committee, comprised of individuals from within City departments that include Parks & Recreation and Natural Areas, Environmental Health, Community Planning and Development, Public Works Wastewater, Denver Park Rangers,  Animal Control and Park Superintendents.  

 

The External Stakeholder Committee will meet several times over the summer to discuss the master plan draft and recommendations to provide their input and expertise. This committee is comprised of veterinarians, dog-walking business owners, members of Great Dane Assistance League, dog trainers, people involved with foster dogs, land use professionals and business professionals. Members are:

 

CD 1       Sara Nepomuceno      

CD 2/3    Lauren Rodriguez   (on the border)

CD 4       Arthur Vogt                              

CD 5       Eve Edmonds            

CD 6/7    Ed Sardella  (on the border)         

CD 8       Priscilla Burton          

CD 9       Wendy Sullivan          

CD 9       Amy Cara                   

CD 10     Jay Rust                     

CD 10     Rachel Jacobs           

CD 10     Tanner Johnson          

NA          Traci Schillinger           

NA          Peggy Lore

CD 11      Deborah Hogue          

CD 11      Reid Dunkin                

 

The Dog Park Master Plan is intended to foster healthy relationships between dog owners, non-dog owners, and all park users. The goal is to improve parks and open spaces to support and accommodate all users in a healthy, sustainable environment. The process began in February 2009, when Denver Parks and Recreation launched an extensive Dog Park survey. When it closed on April 30, 2009, nearly 4,000 respondents had responded.

 

This Citywide effort will evaluate and examine the current dog parks, provide Design Options & Recommendations (Site Specific), develop a Strategic Dog Park Policy and Implementation Plan, and provide Enforcement Recommendations. Out of this effort, the City hopes to establish a citizen led "Friends Group" to partner with the Department in fundraising and maintenance related activities associated with off-leash dog areas.

 

Once the final draft of the master plan and policy recommendations is complete, sometime in the fall, the Internal and External committees will help Denver Parks and Recreation to lead a series of Open House meetings to present the plan to the community.  People interested in staying abreast of the master plan process can submit their email contact information to DenverDog@Denvergov.org and will be added to the master distribution list for periodic updates.  The City will also be asking for additional input throughout the process in the form of short electronic survey that will be sent to the contact list, as well as hosted on the Denver Parks and Recreation Web site at www.denvergov.org/parksandrec