arbordog

Swift Run OPEN Again

2008-05-22T16:09:00.001-07:00

As promised, Swift Run has re-opened for regular use. We dropped in this afternoon and it was nearly back to regular capacity so I imagine most people already realize this.

It looks like the parking lot got flatter, gravel was dumped on the sloping part of the entrance, a small trail of gravel was built along the fence by the entrance, the lowest spots were leveled off with dirt, grass seed was spread, straw was placed over seeded areas. I may have missed one or two things as well (more benches and poop stations?).

Enjoy!

This Weekend - Walk And Wag

2008-05-15T17:21:00.000-07:00

The Humane Society of Huron Valley is hosting the 29th annual Walk And Wag this weekend. It's a day of dog-oriented activities including a fund-raiser walk, agility demos, vendors, all kinds of god stuff.

When: Saturday May 17, 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Where: County Farm Park - 2230 Platt Rd

What: A day of fun activities for people and dogs

If you want to participate in the walk, buy a raffle ticket, volunteer, or get any other information, go over to the Humane Society homepage.

Saline's Mill Pond Park OPEN

2008-05-10T18:40:00.000-07:00

Saline has finally reopened the off-leash area at Mill Pond Park!

With Swift Run closing for maintenance on Monday, this will provide some relief.

For those that have never been there, Mill Pond is on W Bennett St just off Ann Arbor-Saline Rd on the north edge of Saline. For most in Ann Arbor, it is a little farther away than Swift Run, but not too far. The off-leash area is quite a bit simaller than Swift Run (around an acre) and it opens onto the river on one side. The river is great if your dog likes to swim, less great if your dog likes to escape or if you don't like your dog to get wet. No registration or membership required.

Also, don't forget that the Olson Park off-leash area will remain open during this time as well.

May Closings At Swift Run

2008-04-27T09:38:00.001-07:00

The Ann Arbor News carried a story today on the coming closures at Swift Run. The park will be closed from May 12 - May 21.

During this time, several improvements will be made including smoothing out the parking lot, putting gravel in the muddy entrance area, mulching around trees, and adding more waste stations.

The article doesn't mention re-opening the temporary dog park at Southeast Area Park, so I wouldn't count on it being available. As far as I know, Olson Park on the opposite side of town will be open, plus there is the Copper Leaf Crossing off-leash area on Ann Arbor-Saline Road. Unfortunately, Saline's Mill Pond Dog Park is also currently closed.

Enforcement

2008-04-23T07:13:00.000-07:00

In addition to the buzz about pending temporary closures (see below), I'm also hearing rumors that enforcement of ordinances related to dogs are being stepped up. This rumor is not as well substantiated as it might be, but I have heard reports that Ann Arbor city police are now writing more tickets for off-leash violations in other parks.

The person who told me this also thought they were going to start monitoring Swift Run and Olson to be sure people have permits. So please be sure you have a permit and that you have it with you when you come to the Dog Park. It would be silly to get a ticket for playing in the legal off-leash area.

Information on obtaining a permit can be found here.

Temporary Closings Coming to Swift Run

2008-04-19T19:06:00.001-07:00

I have heard from a couple of sources now that Swift Run will be closed temporarily for "a couple of weeks" in mid-May. This will allow some maintenance including addition of gravel to the entryway, reseeding of grass in the muddy areas, and possibly the construction of a path around the perimeter of the park.

I do NOT have any official information about this and I don't know what other things might be done during this time, but both of the sources I heard this from are reliable. It looks like there will be an article in the AA News early next week about these plans, hopefully we'll get more details there.

As I understand it, Olson Park will remain open during this time so there will still be at least one legal off-leash area in the city. Also, there had been talk in the fall about using the temporary Southeast Area Park (the one that was available from September through November last year) when Swift Run has to close for maintenance. I have NOT heard either way whether that will be open in May...

Stay tuned.

Action Item - Thank The City/County

2008-04-17T11:47:00.000-07:00

The dogparks that the city and county opened this fall are a wonderful addition to our community... even if they are a bit overdue. Now that we have this resource, take some time to thank a city or county official.

You can use the links in the column on the right of this page that we used to advocate for these parks in the summer. Those are the people who made this happen, especially the Ann Arbor Parks Advisory Committee (PAC) and the good people at Ann Arbor Parks & Rec.

I know they are interested in public reactions, one of the reasons it took so long to get these off the ground was fear of public backlash. And more to the point, these folks worked very hard to make this happen and they deserve a pat on the back.

So from us here at Arbordogblog to all of the people who let this happen, here is a very belated public THANK YOU!!!

Olson Dog Park OPEN FOR BUSINESS!!

2008-04-17T11:40:00.000-07:00

In addition to Swift Run, Olson Park now has an enclosed off-leash play area. (Here is info on Olson Park with a map link.) It is not quite as large as Swift Run, but my dogs have had some big fun and exercise there.

Where:
Olson Park
Northeast corner of DhuVarren and Pontiac Trail

When:
Regular Park Hours

What:
One Acre of Doggie Bliss

Permits:
Handled the same way as Swift Run (All-access (pink) passes valid for both parks)

Sift Run Dog Park OPEN FOR BUSINESS!!!

2008-04-17T11:33:00.001-07:00

Hopefully most of you have figured this out by now, but in late November, the city of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw county officially opened the Swift Run Dog Park.

Location:
Southwest corner of Platte and Ellsworth Roads, behind Ann Arbor Transfer Station.

Hours:
Daylight Hours

Requirements:
Permit tag available at Ann Arbor City Hall or Washtenaw County

Fun:
TONS!!!

To register, you will need proof of vaccinations (rabies), a license from the city, county, or another municipality, paperwork for altered dogs, and a little money. All of the specifics can be found here.

If you haven't been yet, you're really missing out. This is a huge facility and very well-done. Hope to see you there this weekend!

LONG Overdue Update

2008-04-17T11:31:00.000-07:00

I must sincerely apologize to everybody out there. I took a new job in September and it completely overwhelmed my life. 5 hours of commuting and 60-80 hour workweeks are not a good thing for anybody. Still I should have been updating. I'm going to post a couple of quick updates today, but I am unlikely to resume regular posting. Consider this a general apology.

Temporary Dog Park OPEN!

2007-09-14T11:44:00.000-07:00

As newfs noted in the comments for the last post, the Southeast Area Park off-leash area is OPEN for business!

We just got back from a short visit and there were already three other dogs using the park. It is a pretty simple facility, but very fun. The off-leash area is about an acre of grass with trees and bushes fenced off with chain link. There is a secure double-entry to keep your canine pals from running off and a clean-up bag box in case you forget to bring your own bags.

Charlie and Sadie's review is two paws up. All the trees and bushes provided ample opportunities for Charlie (hound mix) to sniff, explore, and mark, and the length of the area is more then enough for Sadie (pharaoh hound mix) to run at full speed. Even with a Chuck-It I could barely throw a ball the entire length of the park. They are looking forward to playing with other dogs as more and more people start coming.

So if you haven't done so yet, go get a permit and start enjoying legal off-leash play in Ann Arbor. And please follow the posted rules and etiquette, it is important for this to get off to a good start so the city realizes how much dog parks have to offer our community.

Permits Available

2007-09-14T07:46:00.000-07:00

The City of Ann Arbor is now selling permits for the dog parks!

Details here

and here (PDF)

Just take your vaccine, registration and spay/neuter records to the City Clerk.

Not sure yet if this means Southeast Area Park is open, but I'll find out soon and get back to you.

Dog Park News Roundup

2007-09-02T16:50:00.001-07:00

I've missed a lot of news in the past couple of weeks. Here's a quick digest of all the major dog park goings on.

- On Aug 22, the Ann Arbor News ran an article about the current dog park situation. They are projecting the temporary site at Southeast Area Park to be open in the third week of September. Construction is already complete. It would always be nice to see things happen sooner, but it looks like we are very close to the first opening of a legal off-leash area in Ann Arbor! Check the article for other details and timelines on the other projects.

- A few days later Christina, who many of us know well, wrote a letter to the editor in response to that article asking why we can't start using the off-leash area since the fence is up.

- At this week's City Council meeting (Tuesday because of the holiday), Council will be voting on a contract to begin construction at the large Swift Run site. There are some details in the memo attached to the resolution (PDF), the most interesting of which is that the projected completion date is November of this year. (Let's Hope!) -

- Finally, the city and Canine Social Club are holding an open dog swim at Buhr Pool on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons (PDF flyer). Take your friends, pay a small fee, and enjoy dog day. We have been to similar events in other cities and they are LOTS of fun whether your dog swims or not. I'm very sorry that I won't be able to go this year.

CSC Volunteer Meeting for the NEW DOG PARK

2007-08-19T13:22:00.000-07:00

Late Edit: I forgot to list the location of the meeting. It will be at the Pavillion at Southeast Area Park - Southwest corner of Platt and Ellsworth. Thanks to kayla&mom for pointing out my omission.

I got an e-mail from the Canine Social Club this week inviting interested people to a meeting on Aug 23 to discuss volunteer monitors for Southeast Area and Olson Park dog runs when the open. I think the plan is to have people posted during busy times to help people figure out the rules and etiquette and to watch for potential problems. It will probably involve telling people where they can buy a permit and making sure that people pick up after their dogs.

Here is the full text of the e-mail:

www.CANINESOCIALCLUB.NET (See photos of Southeast Park -Temporary Swift Run Site)

Yes, it’s really happening! Dog parks are opening in Ann Arbor!!

As Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County open their first off-leash dog parks, the Canine Social Club has been asked to help ensure that the parks are successful. Ann Arbor Parks & Recreation officials are calling a meeting to coordinate volunteers to help monitor usage of the both the Southeast and Olsen dog parks during their initial phases. The meeting will be held Thursday August 23^rd, 5:30 – 6:30.

What does monitoring mean? Really, it just means doing what we already do when we get our dogs together to play. We make sure poop gets scooped, and encourage owners to keep their dogs under reasonable control (curb aggressive behavior, etc.) Monitors will be needed during peak hours: before/after work and on weekends. The specifics of monitoring schedules and responsibilities will be discussed during the meeting.

If you are able to help, please reply to this email and attend the meeting on Thursday. Even if you’re not sure if you’ll be available, please attend the meeting to learn more about the parks, and what everyone can do to make them successful.

Thank you,

Canine Social Club

If you can make it, please do. Hopefully hall monitors won't be necessary once things get rolling, but we all have a stake in ensuring that the first off-leash areas in Ann Arbor open with minimal problems.

Light Posting

2007-08-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

First let me apologize for my light and sporadic posting over the past month. I've been preparing for a new job so my attention is focused elsewhere.

That new job begins this week and I will probably be overwhelmed for the first couple of weeks. So unfortunately my posting schedule will probably be even more sporadic until I get in a groove. I'll try to keep on top of major developments, but I can't promise any consistency and I definitely won't be able to make most of the City Council or PAC meetings for a while.

Sorry about this, hopefully it won't be as overwhelming as I'm imagining right now. But I want to let you all know why I'm dropping off the radar for a while.

Fee Structure

2007-08-14T12:31:00.000-07:00

At last week's City Council meeting plans for four new off-leash areas were unanimously approved. The memo attached (PDF) to that resolution lays out the detailed plan including suggested fee structure.

The fee structure is on page 2 of the PDF. The rates are variable depending on two major factors 1) Swift Run only or all A2 off-leash areas; 2) Spayed/Neutered or intact.

For Swift Run only the rates are: $50 intact or $35 spayed/neutered
For all off-leash areas: $60 intact or $45 spayed/neutered

Those are rates for a single dog. Additional dogs will be charged as follows:

Swift Run only: $25/$15
All areas: $10/$5

So for example I have two fixed dogs and will be buying a permit for all city areas. That will be $45 for the first plus $5 for the second bringing my total to $50 annually.

As I understand it, the permitting will be handled through the city clerk's office and will require proof of vaccination, proper registration, and a signed agreement to follow off-leash area rules. A tag will be issued to each dog to serve as its permit and should be worn whenever in an off-leash area.

This is an interesting fee structure. It is about in the middle of what we have paid elsewhere to use public off-leash areas, those ranging from free to a little over $100 for two dogs. As I've said before, I'm in favor of a nominal fee to manage vaccination and safety concerns as long as dog owners are not being asked to pay all of the support costs in addition to the property taxes we already pay; dog runs should be managed just like other facilities. I would of course like to see these fees a little bit lower, but I think they are reasonable and from my discussions with Parks staff I don't believe that we are being asked to provide the bulk of operating costs.

The structuring of these fees around whether a dog is fixed or not is an interesting thing that I haven't seen elsewhere. I originally thought that it was a response to liability concerns - some parks do not allow unfixed males or females in heat inside at all. But what I have been told is that this is a response to requests by the Humane Society to encourage people to spay or neuter their dogs.

I know that will frustrate some people and I'm not honestly sure how effective it will be. Will someone who is not inclined to fix their dog decide to do so to save $15? I honestly can't say. At the risk of alienating some people though, I'll say that I think it's a good intent and fairly progressive for a city to encourage people to help reduce the stray population by giving a break to animals that have been spayed or neutered.

Whatever your position on that issue, it looks like this will be our fee structure for the first year of decriminalized off-leash play. The fee structure will be up for review annually and Parks staff have told me that they view this as very flexible in the coming years. Once this is in the works, you should feel free to offer constructive criticism. It sounds like the city will be quite receptive to suggestions.

NB - there is language in the memo I linked to above that suggests that hardship scholarships will be available for people who want to buy permits but cannot afford them. I don't know any details about that, but apparently they will be available.

Signs of Progress

2007-08-11T11:50:00.000-07:00

I drove by Southeast Area Park while I was running errands today and I was pleasantly surprised to see that work has already begun on the temporary dog run. A (rather tall) chain link fence has been put up with a double gate entrance. It looks like most of the fence is up, but it isn't quite finished.

I assume there are other things that have to happen before it is opened - signage, trash cans, and permitting - and I have no idea how long that will take, but this is a very encouraging sign. Now that Parks staff have a green light to finish, it looks like it's actually going to happen.

Election Results

2007-08-08T06:08:00.001-07:00

Results of yesterday's primary are here.

Sabra Briere won the three-way challenge for an open seat in Ward 1.

Leigh Greden retained his seat in Ward 3.

Mike Anglin won against incumbent Wendy Woods in Ward 5.

Wards 2 and 4 were uncontested.

Voting Day

2007-08-07T07:10:00.001-07:00

Don't forget to vote today if you are in Wards 1, 3, or 5.

Check out my posts of the past few weeks if you haven't been following and want some more info on the candidates.

BTW - lots to report from last night's Council meeting. Good stuff mostly. I'll get a report up today or tomorrow morning.

Council Candidate Survey Responses

2007-08-06T05:43:00.000-07:00

Only a handful of the City Council Candidates responded to our survey. It was probably a bit late in the campaign season to send them out.

Responses can be found here.

Don't forget to vote tomorrow. Unless an independent registers between now and the general election in November, the results of tomorrow's primary will be final.

Brief candidate snapshots from the AA News are here.

More information on City elections can be found here. A map of Ward boundaries can be found here.

Several Dog Park Items on Agenda for Council Meeting

2007-08-05T19:00:00.000-07:00

City Council will finally discuss several dog park issues at their meeting tomorrow (Monday). The full council agenda with links to details about individual issues is available here.

PH4, B3, and DS2 all deal with tweaks to the ordinance change that passed this summer allowing the city to establish off-leash areas. Essentially they are changing the wording to allow Parks staff to approve dog run rules without Council approval.

PH5 and DS8 - "Approve Off-Leash Dog Play Areas at Swift Run Park, Southeast Area Park, Olson Park and Leslie Park and Establish User Fees for Off-Leash Dog Permits."
- Council will be approving plans for four dog runs including the temporary site at Southeast Area Park. After this step the process will be in the hands of Parks staff and should go much more quickly. You may be interested to read the details of DS8 (PDF link) because they include the proposed fee structure. I will have some details and thoughts on this later in the week, after I see how Council discussion goes.

DS18 - "Resolution to Approve a Partnership Agreement between the City of Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation Services Unit and Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission for the Development, Maintenance and Operation of a Dog Park at Swift Run Park."
- This is the formal agreement between the City and County regarding their partnership in the Swift Run project. This is also worth a read as it lays out the nitty gritty bureaucratic organization for Swift Run (PDF link). I will also have some thoughts on this later in the week.

This should be an interesting meeting. I don't foresee any challenge to any of these issues, so we should be a large step closer to legal off-leash play on Tuesday morning.

As always, feel free to come out and show your support during one of the public hearing sections
(PH4 and PH5) or by simply watching. If you can't make the meeting, you can catch it on Channel 16 live or Tuesday morning at 11:00.

Questionnaire Results Coming Monday

2007-08-04T06:43:00.001-07:00

I've been getting the responses to the City Council Candidate survey I sent around last week. I'll have them posted here as soon as I have all of the responses and have them organized. It will be no later than Monday morning, but probably no earlier than late Sunday night. Check back Monday for all the results.

Enjoy the nice weather this weekend, I hope you can all find somewhere to exercise with your dogs.

Questions for City Council Candidates

2007-07-26T16:22:00.000-07:00

I am planning to prepare a short questionnaire to send around to all of the City Council candidates asking them where they stand on dog park issues, what they may have already contributed, and what they plan to do for dog owners as Council Members. This is intended to get a feel for where they all stand in advance of the upcoming elections and also to give a forum for sitting members to explain their perspective on the current situation.

As I'm sure you can tell from my earlier posts, I have strongly ambivalent feelings about the current Council. I know they are the most dog-friendly Council Ann Arbor has had in recent memory and I believe that they are currently working in our interests. I also feel that they have come late to the table, not always understood our positions or urgency, and not been pro-active enough in promoting off-leash play. Thus I look forward to providing an open forum for them to explain in their own words what many of us saw as foot-dragging and broken promises. This exercise should be productive for all of us in establishing common ground for future discussions.

I have prepared a few questions, but I'd like your input. What sorts of things would you like to ask the candidates? Send me some short questions relevant to the topic and I'll include them in my questionnaire. Consider it an action item for the next couple of days. I'm hoping to send it out in the next couple of days, so do it quickly if you want to be included in the final document.

You can post your suggestions in the comments or e-mail me privately at arbordog@hotmail.com

I'll post the results here for everyone to see.

Upcoming City Council Elections

2007-07-26T06:08:00.000-07:00

I have been focusing on City Council lately in part because there is a round of elections coming up this fall and several Ann Arbor wards will be contested. Primaries will be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of August and general elections on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November. There is still time for candidates to file petitions to run as independents.

Wards with primaries:
First Ward:

Sabra Briere - Democrat
John Roberts - Democrat
Richard Wickboldt - Democrat

Second Ward:

Stephen Rapundalo - Democrat Incumbent

Third Ward:

Leigh Greden - Democrat Incumbent
LuAnne Bullington - Democrat

Fourth Ward:

Marcia Higgins - Democrat Incumbent

Fifth Ward:

Wendy Woods - Democrat Incumbent
Mike Anglin - Democrat

Currently there are no independents or non-Democrats running and Wards Two and Four have no challengers.

I have been hard on the City Council in the past and I stand behind everything that I have written. However, I do believe that things could be much worse. We have a council that does not oppose dog parks and this has not always been the case in the past. Further, every member has at some point or another stated that she or he supports the Parks system and dog runs specifically.

Thus, I strongly urge you to investigate all of the candidates in your ward and not to vote a pure anti-incumbent ticket unless the challengers appear to be genuinely better candidates. I do not plan to endorse any candidate in any ward but I hope to follow up this post with more details on the individual candidates' positions. It would be wonderful to get some members on Council who will aggressively and actively support our needs, but there have been far worse Councils than the one we have now.

Also, I strongly urge any Ann Arbor resident who is interested in public service to consider running as an Independent. Particularly in the Second and Fourth Wards where there are currently no challengers. If you are interested in making Ann Arbor a more friendly community for dog owners, I think you could garner an awful lot of support and these local elections are often decided by small margins with low turnout.

If you wish to run as an independent, you must gather 100 signatures from within your ward on forms that you can obtain from the City Clerk's office. Filing deadline for Independents is August 8 so get started today.

More information on City elections can be found here. Contact information for the candidates who have filed so far can be found here. A map of Ward boundaries can be found here.

Plans In The Works

2007-07-24T06:41:00.000-07:00

I have said on a number of occasions that plans are great, but they do very little for us if they can never be realized. I think though that the city has a great deal of momentum toward realizing some plans right now. Here is a section of a status update I recently got from PAC:

Christen [Smith] told PAC that City Council (CC) will be voting on authorizing off leash areas at Swift Run, Olsen, and temporary sites at Southeast and Leslie Parks (among other things having to do with dog parks) at their early August CC meeting.

There are still plenty of things that can slow down the realization of an off-leash area and I am still disappointed that we had to wait this long to get approval for the Southeast temporary dog run (not to mention being a year behind schedule on Swift Run). But this is one major hurdle that will be cleared next week for four separate plans.

Also in this status update were a few details on the Olsen Park plan. That plan is supposed to be put on an expedited schedule, but again we'll have to wait and see since we've heard things like this before. The final plan will not include the existing picnic table and shelter as part of the off-leash area. However since Olsen is not on a capped landfill like Swift Run, it will be much easier to modify in the future and there may be a possibility of adding a shelter structure to the dog run later.

This all looks good, but I'll really believe it when I am watching my dogs play at one of these locations.

Letter to the Editor

2007-07-19T17:53:00.001-07:00

One from today's news.

Council Re-Modifies Ordinance, Removes One Hurdle

2007-07-19T06:21:00.001-07:00

I had to leave Monday's City Council meeting after the first hour. It turns out that a little after I left, something was brought up regarding the recent dog park ordinance change.

As you will recall, Council originally modified PAC's ordinance change resolution in such a way that gave Council final say on placement and regulation of any off-leash area. This week councilmember Lowenstein reopened that ammendment and suggested removing the regulation of off-leash areas from Council control and returning it to city staff. The idea is that rules and regulations may need to be tweaked and changed occasionally and therefore Parks & Rec needs the ability to do it without waiting for approval.

I don't think this will have a noticeable impact on the timelines that we're looking at right now. Neither Southeast Area temporary park, nor the permanent Paw Run facility is likely to be expedited. From the discussion, it sounds like this was how they originally intended things to work, but simply worded it incorrectly the first time.

I'd say this is a minor change in the bigger picture, but a positive one. Staff should be in control of these things and it keeps us from hitting unexpected delays later.

If you'd like to watch the discussion, it is at about EDIT 1:49:00 /EDIT in this video. Here is the official Council Meeting Packet that documents what part of the city code was changed. It's under section C-3.

Thanks Glenn and Christina who both tipped me off and sent the video link.

City Council and Responsibility Part II

2007-07-17T19:56:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I wrote that City Council and the Mayor bear the ultimate responsibility for the never-ending dog park delays because they refuse to actively represent our needs, but rather wait passively for solutions to come to them.

The second reason is much more immediate and has to do with the recently-passed ordinance change. You will recall that the resolution forwarded to Council by PAC gave Parks staff the authority to designate off-leash areas in city parks according to a set of guidelines, but Council changed the language giving themselves the final approval. As I wrote at the time, I was not entirely surprised by this. Some people are apprehensive about dog parks out of unfamiliarity with them and it is in the nature of a political body to retain as much authority as possible.

Having reserved the right to yay or nay off-leash areas, however, Council brought upon itself the responsibility to do so expeditiously. The day after the ordinance change was approved, Parks held a public meeting to discuss a temporary off-leash area at Southeast Area Park. We were told that this was to be something of a stop-gap measure that could be enacted quickly and relieve some of the pressure until the permanent Swift Run facility could be completed. Public response to the Southeast Area plan was positive and we were told that once Council approved the plan, work could begin immediately.

That was June 19th. It is now 28 days later and Council has still not heard the proposal for approval. For four weeks now the only thing keeping work from starting on an off-leash area has been lack of Council approval. I had been told earlier that the plan would be on tonight's Council agenda. Now we are being told that Council has decided not to consider it this week, but wants to wait two more weeks so that they can consider all of the dog park proposals at the same time. That is to say that they are not going to consider the temporary stop-gap solution until they can consider the final city-county agreement for the Swift Run facility at the same time. This is sort of like not applying a bandage to a cut until you can get a doctor's appointment to decide whether or not you need stitches. Thus City Council is responsible for the ongoing delays by actively inserting itself into the process of establishing an off-leash area and then allowing that extra decision-making step to linger and delay a project for an additional six weeks.

At the June 4 Council meeting, when the ordinance change had its first reading, I addressed Council and asked them to take head of our pleas and to actively represent the needs of dog owners in Ann Arbor. The response then, and again this week as we seek answers for the delays, has been that they are doing all they can and that if we simply wait, a plan will eventually reach Council and be enacted. They seem to be saying that we shouldn't expect any more than passive representation.

If any member of City Council wanted to actively represent dog owning voters, she or he had the opportunity over the past month. Any one of them could have taken this issue upon themselves as they would a neighborhood request for a new swingset and they could have actively requested the plan from Parks staff and put it on the Agenda for tonight, or even two weeks ago. Just the same they could have at any time over the past several years pushed PAC and Parks staff to move more quickly to meet our needs. The Swift Run plan wasn't even considered until the County approached AAParks and suggested it.

If they intended for Swift Run to be open last Autumn as they told us last Summer, Council would have pressed PAC for the ordinance change and a final rules resolution a year ago. But they didn't. Not a single Council member has actively represented our needs as voters and taxpayers. They have passively waited for these things to come before them at which point they have been generally supportive. The primary active thing they have done was to add the final approval roadblock, which is the main reason we are not playing at Southeast Area park this afternoon rather than going to address City Council once again.

Please remember this and feel free to plagiarize it or draw from it this fall as we enter a new City Council election cycle. Let your friends know where the responsibility lies and let the candidates know that you hold them accountable. And consider these issues when you are in the voting booth in November. We deserve elected officials who will stand up and represent our needs!

Active Representation

2007-07-17T07:25:00.000-07:00

I went to City Council last night and spoke with the members from my ward. They were eager to let me know that things are moving forward on the Southeast Area plan and that all of the dog park issues are moving as quickly as they possibly could. Both of my members genuinely seem to want this to happen and expressed their belief that we have no risk or returning to the back burner.

Similarly, Christina has been getting responses to an e-mail she sent to Council earlier in the week. Those responses emphasize that things are moving more quickly than ever before and are on a pretty high priority. The common theme is that no Council member wants us to underestimate the city's commitment to providing a dog park.

This is great and I don't doubt that most are in favor and nobody on Council is outright opposed to off-leash play right now. I also realize that things have been moving more quickly over the past two months, but this does not absolve Council of responsibility for the delays. Much of the work that they're scrambling to complete now - the ordinance change, rules, agreements, etc - should have been done long ago. They only have to work fast now because this wasn't completed last summer as it should have been to meet the initial target for Swift Run of fall 2006.

Beyond all of that, the frustration that we have been trying to express has to do with the difference between active and passive representation. Most Council Members may be in favor of dog runs, but their pattern has been one of passively waiting for plans to come to them rather than actively supporting our needs and pushing for resolution to the issue. Realistically I wonder how much work would be going now if we hadn't been making noise all summer. I seriously doubt that any temporary solution would be in the works.

I addressed Council last night on this issue, but unfortunately didn't get through the entire statement that I prepared. So I'm posting it here. Enjoy.

Hello and thank you for hearing me today.

I'm hear to speak with you again about the ongoing struggle to get an off-leash dog area in Ann Arbor.

First let me say thank you for passing the ordinance change to make this possible. Many of us saw that as a sign of hope that progress will be made on this issue and the unanimity of it is most encouraging.

The day after the ordinance change became policy, Parks staff held a community meeting about a plan to construct a temporary off-leash area at Southeast Area Park. This is to be a sort of stop-gap solution until the permanent Swift Run plan can be completed. The response at that meeting was overwhelmingly positive and we were thrilled that the city was finally taking action.

You will recall, however, that this body amended PACs ordinance change resolution taking the authority for establishing off-leash areas out of the hands of Parks staff and putting it in the hands of City Council. In so doing you placed an extra hurdle, not necessarily an unreasonable one, but a hurdle nonetheless in the road to resolving this problem that we've been struggling with for so long.

It has now been four weeks since that public meeting and the only thing keeping work from beginning on the off-leash area is Council approval. I had been told that you would hear the plan this week, but when I checked the agenda Friday, I didn't see it. So I did some checking around and I was told that Council has decided not to hear this plan until August 6 so that it can be heard at the same time as the final city-county agreement for Swift Run.

That is to say that you are actively delaying the stop-gap solution until we are closer to enacting the permanent plan. Doesn't that seem a bit like waiting to put a bandage on a cut until you can make a doctor's appointment to determine if you need stitches?

When I spoke to this body way back on June 4, I asked for you to heed the urgency of this issue and to actively represent the needs of dog owning taxpayers. The response then, as every other time that I have asked about this issue, has been that plans are in the works and that if I just wait a little bit longer, something will happen.

This is not active representation. If you were serious about representing dog owners, you could take a pro-active role in making sure that plans are developed, reach council, and are approved. But your history is one of passively waiting for plans to come to you. Even the Swift Run plan was initiated by the county who came to YOU with a proposal. If you were interested in actively supporting our needs, the ordinance change, rules agreements, etc would have been heard last summer since we were told that Swift Run was to be completed last fall. When Swift Run was not finished by last fall, an active representative would have gone to Parks and asked for something to be done quickly to meet the needs.

When the ordinance change came up, you actively inserted yourselves into the process. If you were concerned about actively representing dog owning voters, you would then have actively followed up on the Southeast Area plan to be sure that it got to Council quickly and that the extra hurdle you put in the process did not cause any more delays than necessary. But instead, you have actively put the plan off for yet another meeting cycle.

By the time you hear the Southeast Area plan, it will have been a month and a half. That's a month and a half of delay caused by this body's refusal to actively represent dog owners.

It is clear now that you don't understand the urgency of this situation or what we mean when we say that we desperately need a pro-active group of elected representatives. I am greatly disappointed in this body and I hope that some day you will understand that all we have wanted for these years of begging is for our elected representatives to recognize us as their constituents and to stand up and actively try to find solutions to our needs. Stop passively waiting for solutions to come to you, represent us now.

With the next Council election cycle coming up, many of us are considering whether we have the right representatives in office. For many of us, dog parks are a major voting issue. For some people it is the only issue. Before the last year's elections we were told that Swift Run was going to happen in October, conveniently right after the elections. This summer we are hearing strangely similar things. But actions speak louder than words and right now we are hearing that we are at the bottom of the priority list. Those of you facing contested seats this round may wish to consider this as November draws near.

Thank you for your time.

City Council and Responsibility Part I

2007-07-16T11:36:00.000-07:00

There is plenty of responsibility to go around for the continuing delays in getting an off-leash play area in Ann Arbor. Ultimately, however, the buck stops with the Mayor and City Council.

The normal procedure for anything park related to become policy in Ann Arbor is for the staff of Parks & Rec and the Parks Advisory Commission to come up with plans and recommendations and send them to City Council for final approval. Some Parks staff have worked very hard on this issue and certain PAC members have supported us every step of the way, but overall they have not exactly been aggressive in promoting off-leash play.

Council itself has not generally been obstructionist over the past couple of years and in fact passed the dog park ordinance change unanimously last month. But they are still ultimately to blame for the long delay. I say this because a lack of off-leash play areas has been identified as a sore need for years now. I've previously documented some of this history, beginning in 1997 with the creation of Ann Arbor's first dog park task force and continuing through the most recent PROS plan and Parks millage. And yet Council has not been pro-active in finding solutions to the needs of dog-owning taxpayers.

Part of this has to do with the peculiar nature of the dog park movement. In the case of other Parks programs, a particular neighborhood will identify a need - a new playset or disc golf course for example - and approach their Council members about meeting the need. Those Council members will then act on behalf of their constituents, actively bringing the issue to PAC and pursuing it until the neighborhood is satisfied with a solution. They do this both because it is what good elected representatives do and also because they know that ignoring constituents is a good way to lose their seat on the Council.

The dog park movement, however, is not a neighborhood issue - it is a city-wide issue. Voters from all around the city want this to happen and are not particularly concerned about what Ward is chosen as the host. Thus no single set of Council members sees this as their issue and so none of them takes an active role in seeing it through. Paradoxically this means that an issue with broad appeal across the city is more difficult to solve than a local neighborhood issue.

The Swift Run plan is a case in point. That plan began with County Parks & Rec who approached Ann Arbor and suggested it as a joint project. If the County had not approached the City, we may still be without any plan.

This is the first reason that Council bears the ultimate responsibility for our continuing frustrations - none of them has sought to actively represent our needs, rather they wait passively for solutions to come to them.

To be continued...

Parks Advisory Commission Seat Open

2007-07-15T07:06:00.001-07:00

The Parks Advisory Commission (PAC) is currently looking for an Ann Arbor resident to fill a seat. This is an unelected body that considers issues related to parks and forwards them to City Council for final Approval.

The only requirements are Ann Arbor residency and a commitment to Parks Issues.

Contact Brigit Macomber if you are serious about serving. It would be great to have another pro-dog voice on the Commission.

734-474-4065

Unfortunately I'll be unable to attend the meetings beginning in August so this is impossible for me.

Saline's Mill Pond Off-Leash Area Temporarily Closed

2007-07-13T18:28:00.001-07:00

FYI - While the Saline Celtic Festival is going on this weekend, Mill Pond Park is closed to pets. Bummer, no swimming for us this weekend.

The play area at Pet Emporium remains open.

Presumably Saline will be back to two dog parks next week.

Meanwhile we'll still be at zero in Ann Arbor.

Canine Social Club at Huron River Days Tomorrow

2007-07-13T11:51:00.000-07:00

EDIT: I originally wrote that this was happening Saturday, but it is Sunday July 15 at 11:00 AM. I'm sorry for any confusion and I hope this didn't cause anybody any inconvenience.

The Canine Social Club will have a table at the Huron River Days festivities tomorrow. It isn't listed on the official HRD website, but there will apparently be a dog walk at 11:00 AM Sunday starting from the Perk & Paddle Cafe at the Gallup Canoe Livery.

If you're looking for something to do tomorrow, swing by and meet the good people of the CSC. You can sign up for their e-mail list if you haven't already and talk to them about the never-ending struggle to get a dog park in Ann Arbor.

I'm planning to stop by with my pooches to enjoy the festivities and I'll probably swing by the CSC table for a few minutes to say hi. Hope to see you there!

Council Delays Southeast Area Park Plan

2007-07-13T06:11:00.000-07:00

I was optimistic after a few good steps that I actually thought the city had made dog owners a priority. But now I realize that I was fooling myself. City Council has once again delayed the Southeast Area Park off-leash area plan. I had originally been told that they were planning to hear it at the meeting next Monday (the 16th). But when I checked the meeting agenda on the city's website yesterday, it was nowhere to be found. So I did some checking and now I'm told that Council will not hear the plan until August 6.

You will remember that the public meeting for Southeast Area Park was June 16 and that we were told at the time that the only thing left keeping work from beginning was City Council approval. It is just ridiculous that this should have to wait more than a month and a half to even be considered by the City Council. They have broken a series of public promises about opening a dog park, they know that we are frustrated, this plan was supposed to provide temporary relief until a more permanent plan could be put in place. But it is clear now that they don't really care about dog owners and they don't care about the broken promises.

One other point bears remembering right now. The only reason that Council has to give its approval for this plan is that they insisted on that as a condition for passing the off-leash ordinance change. The ordinance resolution that PAC forwarded to Council allowed Parks staff to make the final approval decisions. This is how most other facilities are approved in city parks. In its reading at Council however, it they decided to change it so that they could have the last say.

I understand that some people have anxiety about dog parks, even if it is misplaced. But by inserting themselves into the process, City Council has added an extra layer of bureaucracy. Thus I believe that they brought a responsibility upon themselves to make sure that this extra layer doesn't translate into serious delays. They have not lived up to that responsibility. Rather they have already let it cause at least a month and a half delay in a project that was supposed to quickly relieve pressure caused by the city's previous delays and broken promises.

At the council meeting where the ordinance change had its first reading I addressed council. Among other things I asked them to become pro-active supporters of dog-owning taxpayers once the resolution was passed. I let them know that we feel neglected and barely tolerated and that we need our elected representatives to actively represent our needs. In their discussions it was clear that they believe they are doing all they can for us and don't see how they could help any more. They could help by taking seriously the responsibilities of being the final arbiter of dog run projects. That would mean actively bringing them to the table for approval and not allowing the extra hurdle that they created to cause serious delays.

Remember this when you speak with Council Members or candidates for local office and remember this when you vote in the local elections this fall.

Status Update

2007-07-12T14:44:00.000-07:00

First let me apologize for my very light posting lately. Been traveling and otherwise distracted, but I should be back for a while.

For a status update of another kind - I recently came across a document with updates on the projects that city departments are currently working on. There is a brief mention of the dog park plans which I'll post here in full:

Work on the Swift Run Dog Park facility continues. Design for the facility is complete. The design process has included community input at public meetings and design meeting with special interest groups. The Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission and PAC recommended approval of an inter-governmental partnership agreement for development and operation of the Swift Run Dog Park at their June meetings. A Memorandum of Agreement between the City and County for maintenance of the facility has also been developed. City Council is expected to consider the partnership agreement at its July 16, 2007 meeting. Staff will also propose providing a temporary off-leash area at Southeast Area Park that will serve the community during the late summer months as the Swift Run site is under construction. The temporary site at Southeast Area Park will include temporary fencing, signage, and trash containers, all of which will be removed from the site when the Swift Run Dog Park is completed. Staff is also initiating planning for an off-leash area at Olson Park.

This seems fairly promising. Not much new information, but it's a nice snapshot of exactly where we are right now.

Southeast Area Park Plan To Be Considered July 16

2007-07-03T07:23:00.001-07:00

I am hearing now that the plan for a temporary off-leash area at Southeast Area Park will be heard by City Council at the July 16 meeting. As far as I know nothing is official yet since the agenda hasn't yet been released, but it seems that the plan has been forwarded by Parks & Rec without going through PAC. It would have been nice to see this yesterday, but at least it doesn't have to wait until August.

Once Council approves the plan I think it will go ahead fairly quickly. There are no other public approval hurdles and it was my impression from the public meeting that bids would be taken in the interim. Construction should be very quick since it is a temporary fence with no brush-clearing or earthwork to be done.

If all goes smoothly, we could be playing off-leash at Southeast Area Park by the end of the month.

Dog Run NOT On Council Agenda

2007-06-29T17:26:00.001-07:00

The agenda packet for next week's City Council meeting is online now.

Unless I missed it, the Southeast Area Park dog run plan is NOT on the agenda. This means that no construction or other work can begin for at least two more weeks since that's the next Council meeting.

I'm not sure how this works exactly, but my suspicion is that this won't be on the Council agenda until it is forwarded by the Parks Advisory Commission. The next PAC meeting isn't until July 17 and the following Council meeting is on August 6.

I'll check into this and find out for sure if this protocol has to be followed. If it does, this means that we still have over a month before construction can even begin on the temporary off-leash area. That seems pretty ridiculous.

If you haven't already contacted City Council to urge them to approve this plan ASAP, this might be a good time to do so. Meanwhile I'll look into ways that we can put pressure elsewhere to fast track this plan.

Action Item: Get Southeast Area Park Plan Approved

2007-06-26T07:43:00.000-07:00

We are in a very good position right now and close to having our first off-leash area. It may be temporary, but the Southeast Area Park dog run will be a real step forward. However according to the ordinance change that takes effect this week, City Council must approve any new off-leash area. We need to convince them to put the plan on the agenda for the next meeting and get it approved so that work can begin.

Action:
- Contact the mayor and your Council Members (information here) and ask them to put this plan on the agenda for next Monday's meeting
- Ask them to approve the plan so that work can begin immediately.

One more thing:
- You may wish to thank them for passing the ordinance change unanimously last week.
- Let them know that you noticed that and appreciate their support of dog-owning tax payers.
- A round of Council elections is coming up and continued support for dog park issues will be a major factor in many voters' decisions.

We've made a lot of progress so far this summer and the voices of you the concerned residents of Ann Arbor are largely to thank for that. Let's keep our profile up so that we can see the final steps become reality.

Southeast Area Park Meeting

2007-06-20T06:36:00.000-07:00

Last night's meeting about Southeast Area Park was very good. The plan is essentially to put a temporary wooden snow fence around approximately one acre. That will serve as an off-leash location until Swift Run is finally finished.

The location of the proposed dog run is in the far east edge of the park between the gravel parking lot and Platt Rd. It is apparently the site of a former house. There is a line of mature trees here that will offer shade. Frankly this is the nicest location that I've seen in any off-leash proposals in terms of landscape and access.

There were around 15-20 people at the meeting. Almost all were in favor and very vocally supportive, it was nice to see the turnout. I spoke with one neighbor who was concerned because he doesn't want the off-leash area to become permanent and would rather have Swift Run finished quickly. That is a sentiment I share deeply. Nobody else spoke against the plan, but one person seemed like he wasn't excited about the idea.

Realistically, I find it difficult to see how there could be much opposition. Even if this were a plan for a permanent park, it is on a piece of land that is far from anything else and currently completely abandoned. The plan doesn't involve any landscape modification or tree-cutting except the erection of a four-foot fence. Any opposition at this point would have to be pure NIMBYism.

The timeline for this project seems to be "very soon." Amy Kuras, the planner in charge, said that she intends to get started as soon as she gets the green light from higher up and it should be a quick project. The only potential delay is City Council approval. As you'll recall from earlier posts, the off-leash ordinance change included language that requires any off-leash area to be designated by Council. That means that this probably has to get on the agenda and be voted on at a Council meeting before work can start. The next meeting is in two weeks so we'll be doing an action item soon to get this through ASAP.

It genuinely looks like Parks & Rec is trying to find us a partial solution as quickly as they can. I'm thrilled with this plan and I hope this momentum continues.

NB - I have gotten quite a bit more info on Olson park and I think my early skepticism may have been partially unnecessary. I'll post more on that later.

Olson Park

2007-06-19T07:20:00.001-07:00

I haven't gotten the details from last night's Olson Park meeting yet, but I drove out to see the place. My thoughts aren't solid yet and I welcome any new facilities for off-leash play.

Having said that, I was struck with just how far away from almost everything Olson Park is. Driving there you pass the sign indicating that you have left the city of Ann Arbor and entered the township. I understand that the park is half owned by the water authority. All of this seems oddly familiar to the Swift Run project which is on the farthest edge of town and not solely a property of A2Parks & Rec. The bureaucratic complications that come with such a joint project are largely to blame for the Swift Run slow-downs.

I also noticed that most of Olson Park is in wildflowers and set up as a water-conservation landscape. I'm not sure where the proposed off-leash area would be, but I wouldn't be surprised to hear later down the road that the whole area is too environmentally fragile for such a project.

Edit: Sandy D informs us in comments that Olson is a former gravel pit. This explains its unique landscape and also suggests that environmental fragility will NOT be a problem. Yay.

It is my understanding that Olson was chosen because there is some maintenance/upgrade money in its budget that may be available for an off-leash area. I appreciate Parks & Rec trying to get creative with funding sources, but it seems like they keep choosing the most marginal and complicated locations. It is hard to believe that dog-owners are taken seriously as a group to be served rather than tolerated when every proposal that we see puts us as far out of the way as possible and is filled with complications.

Remember, the Ward Park proposal, which would have been fairly central and simple, was not shut down because of public outcry as some reports have suggested. It was not possible because Parks was not willing to provide the necessary funds to satisfy the concerns of dog-owners and neighbors.

I'll withhold final judgment on Olson Park until I hear more details. Even if it is imperfect I would welcome an off-leash area at any park as long as it won't be used down the road to deny us something more ideal. Right now, it would also be nice see the limited resources they are willing to offer us go to plans that will be most immediately implementable and have the most positive effect.

Action Item: Attend Southeast Area Park Planning Meeting

2007-06-19T07:07:00.000-07:00

A meeting will be held at Southeast Area Park tonight to discuss the possibility of a temporary off-leash area. The idea is that something would be set up for the time until Swift Run is complete.

Action:
- Attend tonight's meeting
-- Shelter House at Southeast Area Park NW corner of Platt and Ellsworth
-- Tuesday, June 19 7:00 PM
- Support the temporary proposal and urge the city to move quickly
- If you can't make the meeting e-mail Amy Kuras akuras@a2gov.org with your thoughts

This is our best chance of getting something usable this summer. It will be far from perfect, but at least something will be available while better solutions are worked out.

Ordinance Change Approved!

2007-06-19T07:02:00.000-07:00

The ordinance change passed unanimously at Council last night. This is great news, it means that 10 days from now (the period it takes to file and publish the change) Ann Arbor will have the legal authority to designate off-leash play areas. Now we can focus on actually getting those off-leash areas.

Unfortunately I had to leave the meeting between the public hearing and second reading and when I got home and flipped on the TV, they had already moved beyond the second reading. So I don't know the details of the discussion, but it must have been pretty short. This is also a very good sign.

Now we just need to convince them of our sense of urgency and get dog-owners a slightly higher priority so that we can get some workable plans in the works.

Action Item: Support Ordinance Change

2007-06-15T15:11:00.000-07:00

Monday's City Council meeting will include a public hearing and second reading for the off-leash ordinance change. If this passes second reading, the legal ground work will be in place for providing off-leash areas in Ann Arbor. Council voted unanimously to send this to second reading, but several members expressed concern and suggested that they may not ultimately support the change. These members were seeking additional information about specifics including liability and public support.

The public hearing is a time during the Council meeting when the floor is open for any resident to stand up and express concerns or support. This is our final opportunity to convince wavering members that allowing off-leash areas is a good idea that will only help the city and that they should vote in favor of it.

Action:
- Attend City Council meeting Monday at 7:00 pm and express support during the public hearing. This is listed as PH-2 on the agenda and will come very early in the meeting.
- If you cannot come to the meeting please contact your council members (information here) and share your thoughts.

Some things to keep in mind:
- The vote will be on the ordinance change allowing the city to designate off-leash areas. There is no language or discussion here about specific plans. You should feel free to share any thoughts on specific implementation ideas, but what they really need to hear about right now is simply support for changing city code to allow the legal designation of off-leash areas.
- This is a change that many Ann Arborites have been seeking for over a decade.
- Setting aside controlled spaces for off-leash play is a good way to limit liability elsewhere and create a safer and more pleasant park experience for everybody.

From what I can see, I expect this to pass. But there is still reason to be concerned since some members expressed reservations at the last meeting. They definitely notice when several constituents voice support for an issue on which they are wavering. We can help ensure that this happens.

You may have noticed that the Olson Park planning meeting is happening Monday at 7:00 also. Interested people are encouraged to go to that meeting to hear the plans and have input. If you do, please contact your Council reps sometime before Monday evening to make your voice heard on the ordinance change.

Off-Leash FAQs

2007-06-14T05:28:00.000-07:00

This document has been circulating around City Council and the relevant parties for the past month or two. Council Member Lowenstein referred to it during the conversation about the ordinance change at the last meeting.

It is a set of frequently asked questions about off-leash hours in parks in New York. I have expressed reservations before about off-leash hours and I haven't changed my position on that, but it is still a likely partial solution for us. Also, this FAQ deals with more general issues of community relations, public benefit, etc.

I'm glad to see that this is floating around the powers that be since I think it is a nice, even-handed treatment of the issues. There are a few things that I would change, but it's worth perusing if you are still unsure about the wisdom of off-leash areas or if you want to be better prepared to speak with people who are.

Thanks to Vanessa for passing this along to me!

Overrated

2007-06-11T13:56:00.000-07:00

We've been noticed by Ann Arbor Is Overrated. I suppose that means we've made the A2 blogosphere big-time.

Welcome new visitors from AAIO! Take a look at some of the older posts for background information and let us know what you think.

Here's where we stand right now: An ordinance change that will allow the city to designate off-leash areas passed first reading at last week's Council meeting. As I understand it, that means there will be a public hearing and second reading at next Monday's meeting. Supporters are strongly encouraged to come and speak at the public hearing or to contact your council members and encourage them to pass the change on second reading. Contact information is in the sidebar to the right.

There are also two public meetings next week to discuss plans for off-leash areas in Olson and Southeast Area Parks. If either of those is in your neighborhood, feel free to come to the meeting or contact Amy Kuras (akuras@a2gov.org) to let your thoughts be known.

This is all very encouraging. It looks like Ann Arbor will come out of the doggie dark ages some time this summer, but skepticism is wise. We've been hopeful in the past only to be disappointed by new roadblocks. The more supportive voices Council hears, the more likely this is to become reality.

Another Letter

2007-06-11T11:37:00.001-07:00

One more letter to the editor in today's News.

Now that it looks like the community dog run project is back on the table with adequate funding, half of this letter is already moot. The points are worth noting anyhow.

Promising Upcoming Meetings

2007-06-09T10:57:00.001-07:00

It looks like the Community Dog Run program is not dead after all. Two meetings have been announced to discuss two different plans for off-leash play areas.

First, a meeting to discuss a fenced off-leash area at Olson Park
- Monday June 18, 7:00 PM
- Olson Park Picnic Shelter
- Corner of Dhu Varren Rd. and Pontiac Trail

The following day there will be another meeting to discuss a temporary fence at Southeast Area Park
- Tuesday June 19, 7:00 PM
- Southeast Area Park Picnic Shelter
- Corner of Platt and Ellsworth Rds.

This is extremely encouraging. First it looks like Parks and Rec has heard our concerns and those of non-dog owners and realizes that fences are worth the investment. It also looks like they intend to go forward with the community dog run program and also to provide a temporary solution until Swift Run can be opened.

As always I have my skepticism and I'll wait to see what becomes a reality before I am really convinced. But it appears that we are really being taken seriously now and that we may even have a usable off-leash space within the next couple of months.

Friendly Council Member Retiring

2007-06-08T06:29:00.000-07:00

EDIT: I see now that the meeting I mention in this post will be at noon. Sorry I missed that the first time through.

I just saw in a comment at arborupdate that City Council member Robert Johnson of the 1st Ward will not seek re-election in the next round. Johnson has been a major supporter of dog parks and an all around good member of Council.

This won't mean any changes until the next City Council election this fall so it is not going to change things for us in the immediate future. However, it would be nice to get a replacement that will also be a strong advocate of off-leash play and dog owners.

There will apparently be a meeting of First Ward Democrats to discuss the next candidate. If you live in the First Ward, consider going to this meeting and letting the pool of candidates know that this is an important issue. Even better, if you live in the First Ward and have some time on your hands run for this seat and be our champion on Council.

According to the post at arborupdate, the meeting will be this Saturday June 9, at the Community Center, 625 N. Main at Noon.

With Council primaries coming up in August, this is a good time generally to find out which of your CMs are up for re-election, if they have challengers in the primary or general election, and where both the incumbents and challengers stand on dog-park-related issues.

I see for example that Wendy Woods in the Fifth Ward has a primary challenger. If you're a fifth Ward voter, contact both of them and find out what they'll do for us.

CM Woods spoke at length during Monday's discussion. It appears that she is generally supportive but doesn't understand why we are so frustrated. She made a fairly elaborate show during her questioning of Jayne Miller that the city has provided the land for Swift Run and is doing ever so much to help dog owners and that those of us who are voicing frustration just don't know how good we have it. I don't think she is opposed to the project at all, but she really seems to believe that we've got more than we really need and we should just sit back and be quiet while the move at whatever pace they choose.

If you don't know what ward you vote in, you can see a map here.

Council Meeting Video

2007-06-07T15:01:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to edit Monday's Council meeting to post on YouTube. Unfortunately, getting it off my DVR and onto the web is far more complicated than I though. Fortunately the entire meeting is posted on Google Videos now.

You can watch the entire meeting here.

The dog park issue is addressed by speakers in public commentary starting at 21:15. Be sure to catch the second speaker, very eloquent and several strong points.

The Council begins discussing the ordinance change just after 1:06:00.

Loading the whole video takes a little while, but it's all we've got for now.

Letter to the Editor

2007-06-06T18:53:00.000-07:00

Today's News included a response to last week's Ward Park setback.

Action Item: Tell A Friend

2007-06-05T13:11:00.001-07:00

We've had some labor-intensive action items lately, so here's an easy one.

There are still an awful lot of people who don't know what's going on with the off-leash play issue. Almost every time I'm at Mill Pond or another play area, I hear people saying "Man I wish Ann Arbor had a dog park, any idea why they don't?" I usually take the opportunity to offer more information than anybody really wants, but it's clear that most dog owners have no idea where we stand.

Please help spread the word

Action:
- Tell anyone you know or meet who is interested where we stand
- Offer the information to strangers who seem interested when you are at Mill Pond, another play area, the pet store, or any other situation where they might be interested.
- Fill them in on the continuing delays and foot-dragging
- Let them know that an ordinance change is in the works and we are promised (again) something usable this fall
- Tell them about the continuing roadblocks to the community dog park program
- Give them the URL for this blog so that they can get more information, follow developments and get involved

The more people who know about this the better. There is clearly a lack of organization on this issue, but the more people who speak up the more seriously the city has to take us.

Ordinance Change Passes First Reading!

2007-06-04T20:57:00.000-07:00

Tonight's Council meeting was quite long, but we're a step closer to legal off-leash play. Good news!

I won't go into details now since I'm pretty exhausted, but here are the basics -
There was another speaker in favor of the dog park during public commentary. He was extremely eloquent and powerful, hitting all the right notes concisely. My public commentary was considerably less well-delivered, but I think I got my main point across.

Council discussed the ordinance change for quite a while. Concerns mostly focused on neighborhood opposition and safety issues. I think most of the concern comes from unfamiliarity and a genuine desire for more information. While I don't think anybody on the Council is opposed to off-leash play outright, there are some real reservations. A few members were very vocally in favor of providing this service, hopefully this will translate into some real representation in the near future.

Jayne Miller was questioned for a brief time. She was basically brought up to state that the city has committed resources to this and are trying to make something happen, but that there simply isn't any public support. I'll have more on this later.

There was one change to the proposed language. As written, the ordinance change would have allowed Parks staff to designate off-leash areas. An amendment was added that requires Council approval of any off-leash area. This means a little extra slow-down before anything can be implemented, but it's really no surprise.

In the end the ordinance passed its first reading unanimously with several members expressing reservations and looking for more information before the second reading.

I spoke briefly again at the end of the meeting. I essentially thanked Council and noted that many of the concerns they have would actually be alleviated rather than aggravated by implementation of controlled off-leash areas.

In all, the meeting went about how I expected. It would have been nice to see the change passed on first reading, but that was always a long shot. Not having a single nay vote at this point is really a very good thing.

Council Meeting

2007-06-03T07:26:00.001-07:00

The ordinance change allowing the city to designate off-leash areas is on the agenda for Monday's City Council meeting. Here is a PDF memo with the changes proposed.

Hopefully this can be passed quickly and something can be done to provide relief to the off-leash problem this summer.

Article in Today's News

2007-06-02T08:51:00.000-07:00

The Ann Arbor News published an article today about the continuing saga of city obstruction to a dog run. They even included a link to us! If this is your first time visiting our blog, please take a look at some previous posts, there is a lot of background information here.

It's a nice article that captures the basic outlines of our situation. One of the things that Jayne Miller of the Parks Department is quoted as saying in the article is that "neighbors don't want [a dog run]." Although there certainly is opposition, I don't think that's a fully accurate statement. There were approximately four people (out of 40) at the first Ward Park planning meeting who voiced opposition to the plan. Of them, one didn't live in the neighborhood and at least one wasn't outright opposed to a dog run, he just wanted to make sure that it wouldn't cause problems if it went ahead.

Further, it is my understanding that previous plans have gained neighbor support. Swift Run for example has general support and South Maple Park had a series of positive public meetings but was nixed by the Utilities department who wants to put a water tower on the site eventually.

There will always be some people in opposition to any project. The dog run program is clearly one that draws vocal opposition, but it also has a huge amount of support. At all of the planning meetings, opponents have been outnumbered by supporters many times over. The city itself has identified this as a major need in the Pros Plan, the Dog Park task force report of 1998, and public discussion on the recent millage that was passed.

As Glenn pointed out in response to a previous post, the city is going ahead with a million dollar rennovation at the city market that essentially amounts to moving some trees and building a gazebo that many people have opposed. I think it's just as fair to say that Market patrons and neighbors "don't want" the gazebo, and yet there is $1,000,000 for it? How does that square?

There is a lot more in the article that I'll get to later. I'm fuming a bit right now over several things. The stories from Parks and Rec on several fronts seem to change every time I hear from them. There is no good reason that there isn't a dog run open yet except that we aren't considered an important constituency. Voices of opponents to these plans have been given far more weight by the city than those in favor, but don't we pay the same property taxes?

For now, take a read and don't hesitate to send your reaction to City Council, Parks and Rec, PAC, or The News as a letter to the editor.

Temporary Fence

2007-06-01T16:08:00.001-07:00

One of the ways that we might be able to have off-leash this summer is if we can convince the city to set up something temporary until Swift Run gets off the ground. We've discussed this here before and it came up again at the Ward Park meeting last week.

Many folks seem unclear on what this would look like. I'm posting some photos of the temporary dog run that Saline set up last year while they were reseeding the Mill Pond Park Dog Run. As you can see, this is temporary snow fence, which the city most likely already owned for use in winter months, held up by steel fence stakes, which are also probably owned by the city. Thus the costs must have been quite low.

When I have suggested this in the past, I have heard concerns about keeping this type of fence erect. I don't know if something special was done to the fence at Mill Pond, but in the month or two that it was open I went several times per week and never saw sections falling down. The gateway was a bit of a problem. (seen in the third picture) All that was done at Saline was to tie some wire around the top slats where the fence came together so that people could hold the ends together when they came in. This ad hoc gate fell down occasionally and people sometimes found it difficult to close properly. If that is too much of a worry for Ann Arbor, I'd suggest getting a single chain-link gate, either set two posts for it or get a free-standing temporary piece. This obviously would add to the cost, but we are still talking about much lower numbers than even the pittance that Parks is willing to spend for this project.

One other note - you'll notice that a children's play area is located very close to the dog run. As far as I know there were never any problems with interactions between dogs and children, nor were there any between dog owners and children. This is a concern that we hear very often, if dogs and their owners come near play areas, the children will be in grave danger. The Saline example proves quite the contrary, several times when I was there, parents would bring their children over to watch the dogs. Dog owners and parents should not be set in opposition to each other the way dog park opponents seem to think is natural. In many cases they overlap and in most cases we get along splendidly.

Point of Reference

2007-06-01T10:08:00.000-07:00

The average annual property tax paid by a homeowner in Ann Arbor is $5,520 based on an average home value of $230,000*.

I find this interesting considering the amount the city is willing to provide for the community dog run program. In addition to being less than a third of the city's in-house estimates for what this project will cost, the $5,000 that they are willing to provide is less than the average property taxes paid by a single home in a single year in Ann Arbor.

I'm looking for information on how many dogs or dog-owning households are in Ann Arbor (out of town at the moment, sporadic research/posting). I'll let you know as soon as I find out how many of us there are, but it is clear that we have paid more than enough into the Parks budget to provide the services we have been promised for a decade now.

We have paid our share, we have waited patiently, we have offered constructive voices. It is time for the city to live up to its responsibilities.

*(These statistics came from here and are unsourced, but based on what I pay and what my home is worth, this seems pretty accurate. I know it's an unusual source, but it's the best I could find quickly).

Garden Home Park Information

2007-05-31T13:44:00.000-07:00

In the action item yesterday I mentioned Garden Home Park. Here is a link to a PDF with some information on that facility, which is currently being constructed.

As you can see it is quite elaborate. I don't have any information on the costs, but it must be far more than an acre of simple chain link fence.

I've said it before, but it bears repeating. I have nothing against neighborhood play areas. I think they are a crucial part of a well-run city parks program and I'm glad that Ann Arbor has them. I post this to illustrate the fact that large sums of money are being found to fund some very elaborate parks projects right now. At the same time we are being told that none can be found for the community dog run program. The money all comes from the same pot and while this type of facility reproduces scores of others already available, it is neither being delayed nor cut back due to budgetary constraints.

It is clear that Parks and Rec has the resources to provide the services that it keeps promising, just not the will. Dog-owning tax payers are apparently a very low priority group for them.

Action Item: Tell the City to Make Good on Promises

2007-05-30T14:56:00.000-07:00

I know we just had an action item that involved writing city council last week, but it is clear now that Parks & Recreation considers dog owners the lowest priority. The only way to change that is to ask for our elected officials to take up the cause. Given that we were dealt a dramatic set-back this week, we can make a strong case that we are not being taken seriously and they have a responsibility to stand up for us.

Action:
*Go to the City Council meeting Monday evening and speak out
You can sign up (details here) in advance to speak at the start of the meeting or
You can wait until the end and speak during the public commentary section
*If you can't make the meeting then e-mail or call City Council and the Mayor (contact information here).
Tell them that you are tired of being blown off with promises that never come through
Tell them that your needs as a taxpayer and a voter are not being met
Ask them to find the money for the community dog run program

Some useful talking points:
*Ann Arbor has been talking about a dog park for 10 years now (more info here)
*Last June we were told that Swift Run would be open Fall 2006 (it isn't open yet)
*After going through the planning the city has decided not to provide the necessary funds for the Community dog run program.
*We are tired of broken promises and unrealized plans.
*Money is being found for facilities such as Brookside Park (some information here, currently being completed) and Garden Homes Park, which reproduce services already available throughout the city.
*Dog owners pay plenty of taxes into the parks budget, but we are totally without services.
*Off-leash play has been identified by the city as a badly needed service (e.g. here and here)
*We need representation and advocacy from our elected officials

A Point of Clarification

2007-05-30T09:41:00.000-07:00

Just to be clear, the funding that has been nixed is for the community dog park program, which is distinct from Swift Run. The big Swift Run project is still officially in the works and I'm hearing lots of promises that it will be done this fall. But remember that this project has been in the works for a long time now and many promises have been broken. In fact, it was on the PAC agenda last month, but never came to discussion. Realistically, Swift Run will probably happen in the future, the only question is how distant that future is and what kinds of solutions we will have in the interim.

Also, the city is still theoretically in favor of the community dog park program, just not willing to fund it. This means that alternate solutions may be possible including hours in parks, non-fenced off-leash areas, or something more creative. However, given the slow pace of planning and the fact that Ward Park is now deep-sixed, it will probably be a very long time before any of that can be a reality.

Once the code change allowing off-leash areas passes, the city will be legally ready to provide something for us. That means that getting that passed is our top priority now and our second priority is getting them to act quickly once it's passed. When the code change is a reality, we will find out just how committed Ann Arbor really is to providing services to dog-owning tax payers.

Ward Park Nixed by Funding

2007-05-29T18:03:00.000-07:00

The Ward Park planning meeting was as bad as it could possibly have been. We were told that the city will only provide $5,000 in total for the project. That is for everything including construction, signage, maintenance, and any other expenses. The city's own estimates call for $15-20,000 to simply fence an acre and maintain it at Ward Park.

This means that there will be no Ward Park off-leash area and it is unlikely that any dog run will be feasible anywhere in the city.

That is not an exaggeration. The Parks Planning office has effectively decided to eliminate the community dog park project by underfunding it.

Since Ward Park is not in the cards, the meeting was very short. We talked briefly about other options and ways to work around the funding limitations. We are going to have to get creative to make anything happen, but it is clear that nothing will happen soon.

I am outraged by this and I'm sure most of you are too. After a decade of foot-dragging and repeated promises that never materialize, they have again pushed dog-owning tax payers to the side.

The decision to provide less than a third of the city's own estimates for this project seems to have come from higher up in the organization. We need to contact the city en masse to demand that they stop treating us like we are unimportant and start making good on their promises. I'll be posting an action item on this very soon. For now I just wanted to let everyone know where we stand.

This is every bit as bad as it sounds.

Ward Park Meeting Today

2007-05-29T05:49:00.001-07:00

Don't forget. The second planning meeting for the proposed off-leash area at Ward Park is this evening. It's a chance to voice your support for safe and legal off-leash play and also a chance to have input on how the neighborhood dog park program will be organized.

If you can't make it, you can e-mail Amy Kuras (akuras@a2gov.org) and let her know your thoughts. I'll have a synopsis of the meeting sometime this evening or tomorrow morning.

Ward Park Planning Meeting (PDF)
7:00 PM
Ann Arbor Church of Christ
2500 S. Main St.

Petition

2007-05-28T10:01:00.000-07:00

Christina has created an on-line petition asking the city to move quickly on amending the city code to allow off-leash areas and then to act quickly in providing a temporary play area this summer. Please sign it if you agree with her points.

Action Item: Attend Ward Park Planning Meeting Tuesday

2007-05-27T08:02:00.000-07:00

This Tuesday, May 29, is the second planning meeting for the proposed Ward Park off-leash area. It is important that we show our support for this plan and our eagerness to get off-leash areas established. This is also your chance to participate in the organizational discussion so that you can have a voice in exactly how the Ward Park project is implemented. Since this will be a pilot project on which many more dog runs will (hopefully) be based, your input now will have effects into the future.

Action: Attend Ward Park Planning Meeting (PDF) -
7:00 PM
Ann Arbor Church of Christ
2500 S Main St

If you can't make the meeting, you can contact Amy Kuras at akuras@a2gov.org and let her know your thoughts.

Bumper Stickers Available Now

2007-05-21T20:37:00.000-07:00

Get 'em while they're hot!

The latest must-have for the motoring dog park supporter is the bumper sticker you see at the right. And you can have your very own for your woof-wagon, canine-car, mongrel-mobile, or bark-bus.

Available now at Dogma in Kerrytown and Big City Small World Bakery at Miller and Spring. Hopefully available soon at The Dog-O-Mat off Packard near Stadium and Animal Kingdom in Saline.

Be the first on your block to show your support while riding in style.

Thanks to Vanessa's dad for the design work!

***BTW - We're asking for a donation of $1 for each sticker, an envelope is provided. We have no interest in making any money, this will just cover some of the costs of printing. If you really can't spare the bill but you want to put a sticker on your car, please go ahead and take one.

Action Item: Ask City Council to Approve Code Change

2007-05-19T17:49:00.000-07:00

If you are an Ann Arbor resident, you can help expedite an off-leash area by writing or calling City Council this week and asking them to change the city code. PAC has passed a resolution calling for a change of code that would allow the city to designate off-leash areas. That change has to take effect before anything else can happen. The resolution was forwarded to Council last month, but it still hasn't made its way to a meeting agenda.

Changing city code requires two votes in council and a public hearing. However a Council member may request approval on first reading. Either way, it will be several weeks after the City Council takes up the issue before changes can be made. Ask them to take up this issue immediately so that we can have some relief this summer.

ACTION:
*Contact City Council and the mayor using this link or the information on this page.
*Ask that they put PAC's proposed change on the meeting agenda ASAP.
*Ask for the change to be approved at first reading.
*Feel free to express your frustration with the broken promises and continued delay of the Swift Run plan or any other thoughts you may have on the issue.
*Be polite but firm.

This is a change that has been needed since the start of this whole process. For Swift Run to open last September (as we were promised last June), the change should have taken effect in late summer 2006. The resolution just left PAC last month. This is just one example of the foot dragging that has held up the project. With all the time they have had and the immediate need for a dog run there is no excuse for this delay. Asking for the change to happen immediately is not asking to rush, only to make up for some of the delay.

In my conversations with people at City Hall, I have been told very unofficially that a temporary solution may be possible in the time between passing the code change and the opening of Swift Run. This is the most realistic hope we have of getting a safe and legal place to recreate with our dogs off leash in the next several months.

Let's try to make this happen.

Letter to the Editor

2007-05-17T16:36:00.000-07:00

In case you missed it, Vanessa had a letter to the editor published in yesterday's Ann Arbor News. Good points, well put, and succinct.

PAC Meeting

2007-05-15T18:54:00.000-07:00

Just home from the PAC meeting. Not much to report, but a few interesting bits.

I spoke during the commentary section and was told basically that Swift Run might be available in late September if all goes well so I should just run along and be quiet. Frustrating.

Swift Run was in the meeting packet, but the discussion never got it that far. This is precisely why I don't believe their promises that it will be available this year.

On a more positive note a resolution was discussed* that included language about a future park on the north side of the city to complement Swift Run. That should be happy news for those folks living on that side of town who don't want to drive all the way to Platt and Ellsworth. At least happy news for those who will live there several years down the road.

If we can wait long enough, it looks like Ann Arbor will be a very nice town to live in with dogs. The problem is that we've been waiting long enough already. We've been promised an answer just around the corner for years now. Most recently we were promised that Swift Run would be ready by fall 2006. That promise was broken. The city has let us down and they need to understand the urgency of the situation. More promises and planning don't do anything to help the problem. We need action now.

*ed note: earlier I indicated that this resolution was passed. It was discussed very briefly and tabled. So a north city dog park may be in the future but it is WAY down the line. Thanks to Vanessa for catching that and also for coming out to the meeting!

Swift Run

2007-05-14T14:28:00.000-07:00

I just scanned the PAC meeting packet for the May 15 meeting and a couple of things jumped out at me.

First, this document seems to indicate that Swift Run will be complete and usable by "Late Summer" or September. I had previously been told that October was a best-case scenario. While September is only a little better and still would probably require everything to go perfectly, which is unlikely, it is an improvement.

Also I notice that the Swift Run plan will include a fee for users. The packet doesn't say how much this fee will be or how access will be managed. It does indicate that the fee is intended to offset the costs of the facility. This is understandable since it isn't a cheap undertaking - this same document indicates development costs of just over $150,000 and annual operating costs of $33,000. That is no small chunk of change and certain other park facilities such as pools and skating rinks use fees to offset costs.

I also know that a nominal fee for an admittance tag or similar can be a good way to enforce rules and make sure that dogs coming in have had their shots, etc.

On the other hand, for perspective consider the Brookside neighborhood park. This is a new park in the Brookside neighborhood near Ellsworth and Stone School Rd. The area recently changed from township to city and the city has purchased the lot and upgraded it with elaborate play equipment and earth works. I can't say what the actual costs were, but the PAC minutes from Feb 17, 2005 (PDF) indicate that $270,000 was set aside for this purpose with $50,000-$70,000 estimated as the cost of improvements after acquisition of the land. All of that for a park like scores other around town.

I don't want to pick on Brookside, it looks like a beautiful park and I think it's a good thing for that neighborhood. I bring it up because it is being completed right now and it illustrates how much we are already paying from our taxes to park facilities that are essentially intended for use by a few people in their immediate vicinity. By contrast, Swift Run is intended to service the entire community and it will fill a need not being addressed anywhere else.

I am willing to pay a nominal fee to use Swift Run. I think a two-tier pay scheme that asks non-residents to pay a little more since they don't pay Ann Arbor taxes might also be reasonable. But I hope the city doesn't intend to ask us to shoulder the entire cost of Swift Run in addition to the money we are already paying for parks in taxes.

PAC Meeting Tuesday

2007-05-14T14:05:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow (Tuesday), the Ann Arbor Parks Advisory Commission will meet. This is a group including people from City Council, Parks and Recreation, and other interested parties. They manage Parks and Rec activities like purchasing, policies, etc. They are also the ones who make recommendations to city council regarding parks. Basically anything that happens regarding parks goes through them first, especially if it needs a vote in City Council.

The meeting packet for tomorrow (PDF) indicates that the Swift Run plan will be a subject of discussion. If you come out you can hear what's going on there, but it is also a chance to tell them what you are thinking.

At the beginning and end of the meeting, there is time for public commentary on any subject. Each speaker gets three minutes and just has to stand up and identify her or himself with no pre-registration or anything required. The commissioners don't necessarily respond, but they may and it is a good chance to let your voice be heard.

If you have time and nothing better to do, this is a good place to come and express your concerns over the never-ending delay in developing off-leash play areas. I will be there and would welcome any silent support just as much as other voices expressing our frustration. The time is not particularly convenient and meetings go quite long so you don't need to feel obligated to stay for the entire time.

If you can't make the meeting and you haven't already done so, consider e-mailing PAC (PAC@ci.ann-arbor.mi.us) as well as City Council and the Parks and Rec officials listed in the sidebar.

PAC Meeting
Tuesday, May 15
4:00 PM
City Council Chambers
2nd Floor City Hall

PROS Plan Tidbits

2007-05-11T07:33:00.000-07:00

I've been picking through the Parks and Recreation Open Space Plan (PROS Plan PDF) and found a few interesting nuggets.

Page 194 - Lack of legal off-leash play areas is the primary source of dissatisfaction among Ann Arbor parks users

Those who are neutral to dissatisfied with the Parks & Recreation department are more likely to be exercising with their dog, tobogganing/sledding, and ice skating. The addition of a dog park and an outdoor ice rink/ice skating were the first and third most frequently suggested programs that should be offered by Parks and Recreation, by those who felt additional programs/services were necessary

On page 198 there is a histogram reporting "Leisure-Time/Recreational Activities Participated in Regularly by Adults" at the parks. Exercising with dogs scores 5% of respondents. This doesn't sound like a lot, but that is the same number of people who answered that they use the parks to play basketball or soccer or for cross-country skiing. Although there are no formal cross-country ski facilities that I am aware of, that is an activity that is legal in any of the parks when there is snow. As for basketball and soccer, there are facilities for these activities all over town including some very large complexes like the massive Fuller Park soccer complex. Further the large amounts of "unprogrammed space" in neighborhood parks provide ad hoc soccer opportunities. Yet facilities for exercising with dogs are completely nonexistent in the same city.

That same histogram is made more poignant on page 225 where the survey question that produced it is listed. The question asked basically "what do adults in your house do at parks" and lists a variety of answers. "Exercise with dog" is listed in bold indicating that it was "added to the list." I'm not precisely sure what this means, but it appears that it was a write-in candidate, not one of the options originally offered.

So all this means that without being prompted, people volunteered "exercise with dog" as frequently as people answered that they play basketball or soccer in the parks, answers that were originally on the list. This happened despite the fact that there are facilities for playing basketball and soccer legally all around the city and there are none for playing with dogs. How many more people would have answered "exercise with dog" if there were already a safe and legal place to do it?

I personally seldom use the city parks even though there is one right across the street and two within walking distance of my house. Instead I drive to Saline to use Mill Pond Park. So I wouldn't have answered "exercise with dog" on that survey. There is a huge unserved need for dog run facilities in this city.

Would soccer or basketball players be asked to go indefinitely without facilities? If all of the soccer fields in the city were suddenly unusable would the city hold years of meetings and study groups about how to proceed without ever taking action? Or would they provide a temporary solution very quickly until ideal facilities could be provided? Why are dog-owning taxpayers not provided services like other groups are?

ed note - Page numbers given here refer to the page of the PDF document, not necessarily the original document page numbers

A Much Higher Priority

2007-05-11T07:12:00.000-07:00

Following up on the "Get Involved" post below...

Someone in the city wrote about a week and a half ago to let me know that our efforts are paying off. Apparently the city has begun to take notice and the dog run project is now on "a much higher priority" than it was just a couple of weeks ago.

This is great news and demonstrates the need to keep the profile of this issue as high as possible. For the most part the folks who can make this happen are not opposed to helping us. They just have a lot of other projects going on and need a little encouragement.

If the dog-owning community is silent and apathetic, the city will focus on other issues. If we say "10 years is long enough, it's time to produce results" in a unified voice, they will see the need and move to address it. If we can offer constructive input through e-mail, calls, and attendance at meetings they may even come up with new ideas to expedite things.

Keep up the good work all of you who are writing and calling!

How To Get Involved

2007-05-10T06:11:00.000-07:00

A number of people have contacted me asking what they can do to help the cause of getting a safe and legal off-leash area in Ann Arbor. Here are a few ideas:

Contact the city. Contacts within the city have repeatedly told me that the best thing we can do is to be vocal. Let the mayor, City Council, and Parks Advisory Commission know that you want this service and you are frustrated that they are still dragging their feet. Tell them that you want them to take immediate action to provide a safe and legal off-leash play option. Be polite but firm and clear. Contact information for these people is in the "Contact Information" sidebar to the right.

Write a letter to the editor. Contact the Ann Arbor News and/or any other local publication. Write a letter expressing your frustration with the stalling by the city. You might note the clearly demonstrated need and the string of promises by the city that a solution is just around the corner. Just be clear and concise about your thoughts on the issue. You can send a letter using the online form at this link.

Attend a meeting. There is a schedule at the right. It includes Parks Advisory Commission meetings and meetings about dog run plans. Show up at one of these meetings and let the people there know that you are concerned about the continuing delay. This is an extremely effective way of getting the attention of the people who can make a difference. It also helps to show that supporters are the majority of residents and people opposed to facilities for dog owners are a noisy minority. You might also consider attending a City Council meeting if you have time. They allow public commentary for three minutes per speaker on any topic. Stand up and tell them that they are ignoring the needs of a large portion of the city's population.

Keep an eye open. Watch for news items, surveys, public announcements, etc that are relevant to our efforts. When you find them publicize them or pass them along to me (arbordog@hotmail.com) and I will post them here.

Tell a friend. If you know other people who have dogs or who are just interested in this issue, ask them to take similar actions. You can also tell them about this blog and suggest that they check it out to get more information on the situation and how to help.

Watch this space. I will continue to provide information as I get it. In the near future we may also try to organize some more formal community action to get the city's attention. One thing we are considering is a day of "civil obedience" or a rally in cooperation with the Canine Social Club. It would be a fun place for dog owners to meet each other and also a chance to demonstrate that we are a large group that shouldn't be swept aside. Nothing has been planned yet, but it is a possibility.

1998 Dog Park Task Force Report.

2007-05-09T18:20:00.000-07:00

You'll recall from a post earlier this week that the city formed a task force almost a decade ago to research and make recommendations on the issue of off-leash play in parks.

That task force produced a report in 1998 including community survey data, ideas, and recommendations for implementing a dog park or off-leash play area.

With some help, I've found that document (large PDF). It's an interesting read, particularly considering that it is about nine years old now.

Errata

2007-05-09T06:42:00.000-07:00

A quick correction:

The "Upcoming Events" bar at the right had previously listed the next PAC meeting as Thursday May 15. It should be Tuesday May 15. It has been corrected in the sidebar now.

Thanks to the sharp-eyed reader who let me know!

Second Ward Park Planning Meeting Scheduled

2007-05-08T18:36:00.000-07:00

The second meeting (PDF) to discuss the proposal for an off-leash area at Ward Park has been scheduled.

Tuesday May 29, 2007
7:00PM
Ann Arbor Church of Christ
2500 S Main Street

The meeting is intended to cover more details of a proposed run at this site. If successful, it will serve as the Pilot for the community dog run program.

If you are interested in seeing this proposal become a reality, this is your chance to have productive input.

If you want the city to realize any of its dog run plans, this is a good chance to make your voice heard.

At the last community meeting there was a very small but very vocal group of people who were opposed to the plan, some of whom were opposed to the idea of off-leash play areas altogether. A strong showing from people in favor of these plans will demonstrate that we are a significant and active segment of the park-using community. We also need to make our presence known to demand that action be taken quickly and the foot-dragging end. If it looks like the dog-owning community is apathetic, it is unlikely that we will have a safe and legal play area this summer.

If you can't make the meeting, consider contacting Amy Kuras (information on flyer linked above) to let her know your thoughts.

Canine Social Club Web Page

2007-05-08T07:49:00.000-07:00

It's back up and running.

The CSC has a formal relationship with the city and they have collaborated in the planning process that got us this far. So watch that site for new information and developments.

Long Time A-Coming

2007-05-07T07:50:00.000-07:00

Just in case you're curious about how long Ann Arbor has been dragging its feet on the dog park issue, here is a selection from a city council meeting of almost 10 years ago:

October 20, 1997 (PDF) -

Councilmember Vereen-Dixon reported that the Parks Advisory Commission is proposing a Dog/Park Committee, and will submit a report to Council in February.

Parking Thoughts and Another Proposal

2007-05-07T07:06:00.000-07:00

In going over the various plans for neighborhood dog parks and discussing possible temporary solutions, we have discussed the parking issue extensively. How the city considers any of their proposed neighborhood sites to have adequate parking has been a real head-scratcher.

Given their track record, it is tempting to believe that they are deliberately choosing sites with too little parking because 1) they know that they will never be approved and they won't have to move on to the next step, 2) they don't actually want to provide a facility that can be used effectively, or 3) the people doing the planning have never been to a dog park and don't have any idea what's going to happen there.

Although I'm sure foot-dragging and unfamiliarity have some influence, I actually think there is a different reason. As near as I can tell, the Ward Park plan is supposed to be a pilot for a bigger system. Eventually, if I'm understanding correctly, Ann Arbor is envisioned to have Swift Run as a major city/regional node as well as small neighborhood off-leash areas like Ward Park scattered throughout the city. Wouldn't that be wonderful!

In that situation, the neighborhood parks wouldn't need much parking. A half-dozen spaces would be more than enough as most people using them could walk and the great bulk of people driving to a dog park would go to the larger Swift Run facility. Thus the curb space at Ward Park and the small parking lot at South maple are considered "adequate parking."

Unfortunately, those places do not have adequate parking to serve as the temporary city-wide solution while Swift Run remains in bureaucratic limbo. Even the temporary solution I offered last week is really no good in light of the parking problem.

I still think a temporary fence somewhere is an ideal solution both for dog owners and for the city who wants to see a park in practice before opening it's flagship park.

So instead of Ward or South Maple, why not consider something that already has ample parking? There are a number of parks that fit the bill - Buhr and West Parks spring to mind. However, I don't think those are realistic because of the long community meeting process that would no doubt be involved.

Instead I'd suggest the Southeast Area Park, although it is very inconvenient for most Ann Arbor residents, right across the street from Swift Run at Platte and Ellsworth. The advantage of this otherwise inconvenient location is that it is in the same neighborhood as Swift Run so presumably the public meeting process doesn't need to be repeated. Also, unlike Ward Park there are almost no neighbors immediately next to the park. There are some very large parking lots already at Southeast including a gravel lot that seems to be blocked off most of the time but could serve as overflow. It also has some large unused areas including a mowed area along the west edge. I've marked these in yellow in the map on the right.

A temporary fence, a sign, and a trash can is all it would take to provide an off-leash area here. It is a very imperfect plan, especially given the distance from most of Ann Arbor's population, but at least it's something.

Ann Arbor Voices

2007-05-05T12:10:00.000-07:00

Christina, who some of you know, had an op/ed published yesterday in the Ann Arbor News "Voices" section. If you missed it in print, you can read it here.

She addresses quite well some of the more rational concerns that dog park opponents have. She also invites concerned residents to visit a dog park and see first hand what one looks like. I know some people will never be swayed - some just don't like dogs, others don't like dog owners, and some simply don't want anything new in their neighborhoods. But a visit to Saline's Mill Pond Park should end any visions of canine Thunderdome for those who just don't know what to expect.

The online version doesn't include the picture of Christina, Charlie, and Sadie so I've posted it at the right.

Dial-Up

2007-05-02T09:03:00.000-07:00

I'm visiting family now and only have access to dial-up internet. I can't be tying up their phone lines all the time so there won't be any more posts here until I get back to A^2 this weekend. I have lots of thoughts and some ideas I'd like to post so I'm looking forward to that.

In the mean time, watch for an editorial in the Ann Arbor News "Voices" section by one of our local residents who has had enough with the foot-dragging by the city and image-bashing by non-dog residents.

Parking Issues

2007-05-01T05:28:00.000-07:00

As has been demonstrated in my "Modest Proposal" post, the parking situation at South Maple is quite bad. It's actually worse than that at Ward Park. I wonder how it was chosen to be the first pilot for a neighborhood dog parks program given the parking limitations. Maybe the city's idea of adequate parking is more limited than ours.

At the Ward Park meeting there was very brief discussion about creating a temporary gravel lot somewhere on the site. Maybe this is a possibility that was being considered for South Maple as well. Unlike Ward Park, a temporary lot could probably be created at South Maple.

If South Maple is not a suitable temporary site, though, there should be somewhere else in town. In comments, Ness suggested Turnberry Park, which I am not familiar with yet. I have elsewhere suggested West Park due to its size, location, and available street parking. There are dozens of other possibilities on the 2,000 acres of park land the city maintains. Esch Park has an open area and lots of neighborhood parking. Greenview is huge and undeveloped, but I understand that there are plans for it. Beckley Park is not very central, but it has a nice big lawn and lots of parking. Buhr is enormous and has plenty of open spaces to offer us one and still leave ample room for picnicking, kite-flying, sun-bathing, etc.

There are adequate spaces all over town, I won't try to name them all or pretend to know all of the parks and the potential drawbacks. The point is that this temporary solution idea ought to be something that can be implemented within the next 30 days in a way that makes (almost) everyone happy.

AA News Article

2007-04-30T16:08:00.000-07:00

With all my travelling I missed this article from Friday's News about last week's Ward Park meeting. I'd say the article is a fair overview of what transpired, but you won't find much detail.

The only surprise for me was the number that Amy Kuras quoted as her budget - $15-20,00. I may have misremembered or maybe she was talking about a smaller part of the total budget, but I was under the impression that it was only about $5k. We should be able to get something pretty nice for 15.

A Modest Proposal

2007-04-29T11:35:00.000-07:00

It is now abundantly clear that Swift Run will not be available for use until at least October and Ward Park is unlikely to get off the ground before then if ever. It looks like Ann Arbor is finally going to have an off-leash area within the next year or two. But the wait has already been too long, we have been promised that things were just in the future too many times, and the Ann Arbor dog-owning community needs a solution now.

Among the many obstacles, I understand that the budget for the neighborhood dog park program is extremely low. The number that I was quoted is barely enough to build a fence. Then of course there is the problem of convincing some neighborhood to host the first park of this kind before they have a chance to see how it will work.

With that in mind, I have been trying to think of solutions that might be workable in the near future. Here's one that I've come up with:

South Maple Park was originally chosen to be the pilot for a neighborhood dog park program. Apparently the community was in favor, the area is right, and parking is available. The problem is that the Utilities department maintains the area and wants to put a water tower there in the future. Naturally they don't want to get into a situation where they have to evict a dog park and look like the bad guys.

So why not consider putting up a temporary off-leash area on the South Maple site to serve as a functioning prototype for what is being proposed elsewhere. A relatively cheap fence could be used - Saline used a snow fence for it's temporary park when Mill Pond was being re-seeded last year. This park could be put up with the explicit understanding by all parties that it is a temporary solution that will be taken down once Swift Run is complete or when the water tower needs to go up (which I imagine will be long after Swift Run is open), or at some other time.

This provides a number of advantages:

First and most importantly for me, it provides an immediate off-leash solution for those of us who want to play safely and legally this summer.
Second, this is an area that meets the requirements set forth by the city and the neighborhood has already responded favorably to the idea of having a dog park, so the long meeting process could be avoided.
Third, the explicit understanding that it is a temporary solution should soothe the Utility department's concerns about having to close something down in the future. Being temporary also means that neighbors who may still be unsure won't be committed to a forever change.
Fourth, this provides the city a living laboratory to test its ideas of how a dog park should look, what kinds of rules would be necessary, any problems or benefits that will come to the neighborhood, etc. It also provides a model for the residents of other neighborhoods to look to when considering whether to host a permanent off-leash park.
Finally, this plan is rather inexpensive. The temporary fence could be put up at a fraction of the cost of a permanent chain link structure. Even the low pilot budget should be able to handle this plan including mowing, a couple of trash cans, and a sign with rules.

I don't like the idea of a temporary solution as much as a permanent one for obvious reasons - it would be too easy for the end of the temporary period to come and nothing to replace it. I also think the city has had more than ample time to implement something permanent. But I am realistic. A temporary solution either at South Maple or somewhere else (a small, surficial fence on part of the Swift Run site? a temp fence at Ward?) would relieve some of the pressure that we are currently feeling and actually provide the city with a way to step into its role as dog-park manager slowly rather than all at once.

I am forwarding this idea to the relevant people at City Hall and I hope that they are interested in moving quickly on something like this. Be assured that I will share whatever response I get.

Godwin and Children

2007-04-28T07:23:00.000-07:00

Conversations about dog parks have an unfortunate tendency to move toward a comparison between children and dogs. This is almost never a good thing for people on either side of the debate so I'd like to propose a modification of Godwin's Law.

Descriptive law: The comparison of children and dogs or the introduction of children to any discussion of dogs (except where particularly relevant - safety, interactions, etc) always raises rhetorical temperatures and ends the productive exchange of ideas.

Prescriptive law: Never introduce children into a discussion about dog parks unless it is particularly relevant (what age to allow without parents, how to keep neighborhood kids from harassing the dogs, will the dogs bother nearby playing kids, etc). Doing so will result in the closing of all communicative channels and your point will be lost.

Dog owners feel very close to their dogs, they are truly members of the family. No matter how rational or valid your point may (or may not) be, any time you invoke a comparison between children and dogs non-dog people will only hear this: "I am a crazy person. I believe that my dogs are the heirs to my estate and will continue my family name. I also believe that your children are exactly the same as a feral schnauzer, raising them was not a big deal. I do not have human children because I am irresponsible and I will never be a real adult contributing to this society. Please disregard everything I have to say for the rest of the conversation."

Non-dog people also sometimes try to invoke a comparison of children and dogs to prove a point. At the Ward Park meeting Thursday someone asked how we could even consider providing a park for people with dogs when the children's services and schools need more money. The suggestion that children under a certain age might not be allowed in a dog park without parents was greeted with shock. During the discussion about children and adults, we were told that someone was "uncomfortable with this comparison between kids and dogs," but that he was disturbed that dogs would be allowed in the park but not unaccompanied kids. Of course the dogs would always be with adult humans too and the rules are for the kids' safety, but that's another post.

I understand that non-dog people sometimes make a comparison between dogs and kids because they hear a dog person make it and believe that all dog owners feel that way. But just the same, no matter how valid the point, if you invoke this comparison a dog person will only hear: "I am uptight and I believe that you are a crazy person. If you don't have children then you are not an adult and should not be treated as a full member of society. If you already have children then you should have more rather than spending any money on a dog. You should have no say over how your taxes are spent unless you have children. Adults without children are probably child molesters. Please be quiet while we adults figure out how to further marginalize you."

Both of those characterizations are unfair, but I really think it's what we on both sides of the argument hear. Since it's so far from what anybody actually wants to get across it invariably has the effect of ending the productive exchange of ideas. If everybody involved in the dog park issue would please refrain from comparing dogs to children, we will all be a lot happier.

Travel

2007-04-28T07:17:00.000-07:00

Expect light posting during the next week. We are traveling to see my folks, then the in-laws.

In Kansas now, the land of many dog parks. Right now trying to decide which of the four nearby parks to go to today. I think we'll go to the bigger one that doesn't have a lake. We'll take some pictures.

Contact Information

2007-04-27T04:46:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to compile a small list of people to contact at the city so that people can easily make their voices heard. I don't want to put too many names on the list for fear of overwhelming, but I have recently been told that we should be contacting Jayne Miller who oversees the Parks Planning office. I have searched the city web page and don't come up with any contact information for her. For that matter, there is apparently no central searchable list of city personnel e-mails and phone numbers.

If anybody out there knows where to access such a list or contact details for people we should be speaking to, please let me know. You can e-mail arbordog@hotmail.com or just leave info in the comments.

Thanks.

Community Relations Train Wreck

2007-04-27T03:53:00.000-07:00

As I have noted before, Parks and Rec is currently in the process of negotiating for increased patrols by AAPD. One of their major goals is to crack down on the "off-leash problem." During a public discussion about this recently, one of the PAC members suggested that perhaps the police could focus on issuing warnings and running people off rather than jumping right into the $500 fines. Her reasoning was that the A2 dog-owning community has nowhere to play legally and is getting frustrated, so ticketing us could lead to a "community relations train wreck."

I think that's an astute reading of the situation and I am grateful that the city understands the relationship between the "off-leash problem" and the lack of dog parks. However, I think there is already a community relations train wreck underway that is being overlooked.

The community relations problem is the city's unofficial policy of looking the other way rather than dealing with the problem. This encourages, or at least allows, people to continue breaking the law flagrantly. Non-dog owners who may already misunderstand or distrust people with dogs see this going on around them and only have their negative images of us reinforced. How can we convince community members that a dog park in their neighborhood will not attract irresponsible people and illegal behavior when they see us breaking the law every day? These laws may be seldom-enforced and we may understand that our dogs are under control and not dangerous, but to the people who dislike or fear dogs or who simply can't stand the thought of dogs running loose, that is little solace.

And so the image of dog-owners in Ann Arbor suffers. We are going through a community relations train wreck because the city refuses to provide us with the tools to apply the brake. Instead they shovel coal into the engine, facilitating the behavior that makes some non-dog people distrust us so deeply.

Let me be clear about this. I do not want a crack down on off-leash dogs. What I do want is for the city to deal with the problem by providing this service that is so badly needed. Create some places where people can exercise with their dogs legally and take the pressure off of them to find their own solutions. Once that is accomplished, then the city no longer has to feel obliged to turn a blind eye to law breaking and hopefully we can show the non-dog segment of the city that we are civil, responsible adults just like any other group of park users.

Ward Park Meeting

2007-04-26T18:18:00.000-07:00

The Ward Park meeting got my heart rate up, but most of what happened was predictable.

Basically, the city has identified Ward Park as a viable off leash location because of the large unused (unmowed) area and the presence of some street parking. This meeting was meant to test the waters and find out what kind of support and opposition exists as well as the kinds of things that supporters would like to see happen there.

There were probably around 20 people at the meeting, maybe half indicated that they live within walking distance to the park. That's about half the number that showed up for the Swift Run meeting last June, but not a bad turn out altogether.

The response was generally positive. A large number of people were very vocal about their desire to see an off-leash area happen and their hopes for what it would entail. A smaller number of people voiced concerns about the park and a few outright opposition. This latter group was almost completely made up of people living right next to the park who were concerned about the park causing an increase in everything from traffic to child abductions.

The woman who led the meeting, Amy Kuras, did an admirable job of keeping the discussion focused and civil. Her job wasn't easy and I wouldn't have wanted it; she took a considerable amount of criticism from both proponents and opponents.

The major points of opposition focused on bad acts already being committed by dogs and irresponsible owners. Representatives of the condo community to the south of the proposed site said that they already have a major problem with off-leash dogs in their neighborhood and people not picking up after their dogs. They also worry that the park will be too popular and create a parking problem, a concern I shared in an earlier post.

A few people also worried that this would harm children in one way or another. The first person to speak on this issue said that having a number of adults with dogs near children (there is a playset on a separate area of the proposed property) could lead to children being hurt, presumably by either dog bites or adults doing things to harm the kids. Some concerns were raised about kids being evicted from this area, although it is currently unmowed and appears to be used very little if at all by children or anybody else.

At least one person was honest that she simply doesn't like dogs and doesn't want them in her neighborhood. She and another person who also isn't a dog person agreed that there should be a place somewhere in the city for people to play with their dogs, but for her it's Not In My Back Yard.

I find it ironic that most of the verbiage spoken in opposition to the plan directly addressed the reasons that a dog park is badly needed. The neighbors all agreed that there are a large number of dogs in the area already, some of which are not responsible and therefore causing problems. I'm not sure if they think that those dogs are coming in from Detroit, but odds are that those dogs are local. That means that there is a high density of dogs in this area already finding their own solutions to needs for play and potty.

Even with a dog park in the neighborhood there will always be some irresponsible folks who play off leash wherever they see fit or don't pick up after their dogs along the sidewalks, but a huge number of the people currently offending would surely opt for the safer and more-legal option of playing and pooping in the off-leash area. It seems like this gets said over and over, but providing a defined space for dogs relieves the pressure and draws most of that unwanted activity to within a fence. There the only people subject to loose canines and loose poo are people with dogs who have consciously chosen that risk.

There was also a considerable line of argument from the position of assuming that dog parks are for dogs and not people with dogs. I have to believe that the opponents have never been to a formal dog park, because they seem to believe that they are full of unsupervised wild animals fighting to the death. Again worth repeating, dog parks are places where people with dogs go to recreate and socialize. Most dog people are mature, civil adults who cause no more problems than people who go to parks to play basketball or tennis, to picnic, or to ice skate. I'm not sure why the idea of a dog park elicits visions of a canine Thunderdome among so many people, but it sure does.

The end result was also predictable - we need more meetings before we can decide whether to consider possibly going forward with a recommendation to consider planning a discussion about conditions under which a plan can be drawn up for proposal. Yes indeed, the wait goes on indefinitely. We were promised that another meeting will be planned in the near future to discuss more details about what might happen. The only thing that I think was definitely decided tonight is that if a dog park happens here, it must be fenced.

The struggle continues.

Vive La Canine Social Club!

2007-04-26T18:15:00.000-07:00

We just got back from the Ward Park planning meeting. More on that later.

For now you'll be happy to learn that the Canine Social Club is alive and well. Their web page is down because the space had been a donation and the time ran out. Or something like that, I didn't get the whole story. But I was reassured that they still exist and are still organizing. Look for their page to be back up soon. Also watch for some collaboration between CSC and arbordog.

Canine Social Club No More?

2007-04-26T11:34:00.000-07:00

For several years the group doing most of the organizing around the Ann Arbor dog park issue was the Canine Social Club. I tried a few times to get involved with them or at least to get on their e-mail list with little luck. I always figured that my e-mail was filtering their messages or something similar on my end. But their web page (dead link) has been down for at least a week now so I suspect that there is a bigger problem.

I hope the CSC hasn't met its end under the weight of frustration and ongoing struggle, we really need that kind of grass-roots organization if we are going to get results. I have contacted a former member and will be getting more information this weekend. Also I hope to run into some CSC people at the Ward Park meeting tonight and find out where they stand. I'll let you, both of my loyal readers, know what I find out right here as soon as I know something.

Ward Park Meeting Today

2007-04-26T08:35:00.000-07:00

Don't forget. The community meeting to discuss Ward Park as an off-leash area is tonight!

If you have time, please come and voice your support for an immediate solution to the lack of off-leash space in Ann Arbor.

Thursday
7:00PM
Ann Arbor Church of Christ
2500 South Main Street

Ward Park

2007-04-25T15:47:00.000-07:00

This weekend I checked out Ward Park, the maybe possible site of a proposed maybe off-leash area. It is off Main street between Busch's and Briarwood.

The place seems nice enough, there is a little play set and a big open area behind it. I presume that this open area is the maybe kinda sorta proposed area for the possibly later dog park that will be under discussion tomorrow. I think it could be a fine park, but I do have a few reservations.

First, the open area is currently covered in weeds and brush, largely consisting of thorn trees. Right now since the weeds haven't come up yet it would be a fine place to play, but to be usable in the summer, it will have to be cleared and mowed. Call me cynical, but I have to believe that clearing the area will involve another round of meetings and planning and cost us at least an additional month before we have an off-leash area.

Also, the notice for tomorrow night's planning meeting indicates that this location was chosen because of ample parking. There certainly is some street parking in the area, but there are exactly zero parking spots painted and designated for the park. In fact, Ward Park is nestled among some large apartment complexes and I can imagine that people will be tempted to use their lots for overflow. Unless I missed something (very possible since I didn't spend much time looking), there really isn't much more parking at Ward Park than any other park in town.

Those were my main observations. Ward could be a great place for a dog park; there are plenty of places in town that could be good candidates if the city would just quit dragging its feet and take action.

Don't forget about the planning meeting tomorrow. The main thing we need to find out is when Ward Park will be open, how we can be sure that it will really happen this time, and what the city will do to provide a solution for us in the interim.

Rotating Hours

2007-04-24T06:25:00.000-07:00

In the never-ending process of talking about possible dog park solutions without ever having to take action, a system of rotating hours has been suggested. In fact, one of the Parks Advisory Commission (PAC) members who is sympathetic to our frustration recently told me that this is what we should be lobbying for rather than a proper dog park. I think a rotating hours system could work, but only as a partial solution and only if it were organized right.

Basically the idea is that rather than building a fence and designating it as permanent off-leash area, the city would declare that a certain area in a certain park was an off-leash area during certain hours. In a rotating system, this designation would shift between different parks on different days so that each neighborhood gets its share of off-leash time.

There are two major reasons (and a handful of smaller ones) that this is probably insufficient.

First is the problem of safety. If an area is not permanently designated for off-leash, it is unlikely to get a fence. Without a fence there will always be problems with dogs getting out. It would only take one squirrel to get their attention and we could end up with dogs in the street, lost dogs, even dogs hit by cars. Ann Arbor has the resources for a safe solution and we deserve it.
The other major problem I foresee is scheduling. Having an off-leash area available for a few hours a week is not sufficient. We like to take our dogs to play every day. We've always done that when we lived in other towns and we would do it now if it were possible. So far there is no guarantee that a rotating hours system would include an off-leash area during all park hours. There is no reason to believe that dog time wouldn't be pushed to the most undesirable hours of the week, restricted to just one or two days city-wide, or subject to change at the whim of the city.

I do like the idea of off-leash hours insofar as it brings dog park to several neighborhoods at least once a week. However, this cannot be the primary solution to the problem. Safety has to be the primary concern and this means that we need fenced areas. Ideally there would be small neighborhood off-leash areas all over town in addition to the large Swift Run facility. That would allow people to walk and still be safe and available all the time. There is certainly the demand and resources for that, just not the will.

Let the City know that you demand a safe and convenient solution for the dog park problem.

Ward Park Planning Meeting

2007-04-20T08:03:00.000-07:00

Next Thursday April 26, there will be a community meeting to discuss possible plans for an off-leash dog area at Ward Park.

If the response is good, this would be an area in addition to the ever-delayed Swift Run park. Sounds good, but you'll understand that I am a bit skeptical.

You see, this is exactly the kind of meeting that was held at Bryant Elementary almost a year ago to discuss plans for Swift Run. The response at that meeting was overwhelmingly positive and it was there that we were promised a dog park by Fall 2006, no later than Spring 2007.

We at arbordog will certainly be at the Ward Park Meeting and we will be asking for assurances that this plan will be implemented immediately. The more people who come and support the plan, the more likely it is to become reality. The more people who speak to the urgency of the problem and voice their skepticism with long-term "maybe sorta" plans, the more likely immediate action is to be taken.

So come out and let your voice be heard if you can.

Details:
Community Meeting for Planning Ward Park Off-Leash Area
Thursday, April 26 7:00 PM
Ann Arbor Church of Christ
2500 South Main Street

Is YOUR Dog a Criminal?

2007-04-19T11:49:00.000-07:00

Allowing a dog to be off-leash on city property is grounds for a fine up to $500.00

"Fine, but the city usually looks the other way" you say?

You should know that the city is currently negotiating with the AAPD for increased patrols of parks. One of the primary aims of these increased patrols will be to crack down on the off-leash "problem."

So Ann Arbor is willing to pour money into an operation that could cost you for enjoying the city with fluffy, but they won't take action to provide you a place to do it for free. WHY NOT?

Contact the city using the links at the right and demand that they take care of this "problem" the right way. And demand that they do it NOW.

Tell the City to Take Action

2007-04-19T11:05:00.001-07:00

The city of Ann Arbor continues to stall and delay its plans for an off-leash dog play area. As of now, there will be no safe and legal off-leash area in Ann Arbor until at least October 2007. Of course, last June we were told that it would be available in Fall of 2006 so that's a best-case-scenario.

Contact the people who can make this happen sooner and tell them that we need a dog park NOW.
Who to contact:

Mayor John Hieftje:
JHieftje@ci.ann-arbor.mi.us

Manager of Parks and Recreation
Christen Smith:
chsmith@a2gov.org
(734)994-1303

Your City Council Member:
Find information at:
http://www.a2gov.org/citycouncil/index.html

Important Points:

The city maintains over 2,000 acres of park land, but not a single acre for dogs
Playing off-leash in a non-designated area is illegal and unsafe
Last June we were promised an off leash area by Fall 2006
The city PROS plan identifies off-leash play area as one of the parks system's most pressing needs
Our dogs cannot wait indefinitely, we need an area NOW
The city has the resources to make this happen, it only lacks the will

Be polite but firm and let us know in the comments if you get any feedback.