HomeMy WebLinkAbout7.b. Discussion of Off Leash Dog Parks4ROSEMOUNTEXECUTIVE SUMMARY
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
Parks and Recreation Commission Regular Meeting: August 25, 2014
ISSUE
Dog parks or off leash dog areas are becoming more and more popular in the south metro area. Their
popularity is outlined in a recent article that was printed in the Star Tribune paper and has been included in
the packet for your review. It appears that most of the dog parks being developed are approximately 10
acres in size and provide a variety of opportunities for the users.
Currently, the closest dog park to Rosemount is Dakota Woods Park which is located just south of County
Road 46 on Blaine Avenue. Dakota Woods is operated by Dakota County Parks. In years past, Rosemount
allowed dogs to run off leash in the eastern portion Schwarz Pond Park. This was before the Evermoor
Development and Connemara Trail were established.
Staff would like to discuss with the Parks and Recreation Commission possible locations in Rosemount for
both neighborhood dog parks and a more centralized community dog park.
AGENDA SECTION:
AGENDA ITEM: Discussion of Off Leash Dog Parks
New Business
PREPARED BY: Dan Schultz, Parks and Recreation
AGENDA NO.
Director
7 b.
ATTACHMENTS: Article from the Star Tribune
APPROVED BY:
RECOMMENDED ACTION: None, discussion only.
ISSUE
Dog parks or off leash dog areas are becoming more and more popular in the south metro area. Their
popularity is outlined in a recent article that was printed in the Star Tribune paper and has been included in
the packet for your review. It appears that most of the dog parks being developed are approximately 10
acres in size and provide a variety of opportunities for the users.
Currently, the closest dog park to Rosemount is Dakota Woods Park which is located just south of County
Road 46 on Blaine Avenue. Dakota Woods is operated by Dakota County Parks. In years past, Rosemount
allowed dogs to run off leash in the eastern portion Schwarz Pond Park. This was before the Evermoor
Development and Connemara Trail were established.
Staff would like to discuss with the Parks and Recreation Commission possible locations in Rosemount for
both neighborhood dog parks and a more centralized community dog park.
StarTribune - Print Page
Jx StarTribune
Dog parks booming across the south
metro
Article by: Liz Rolfsmeier
Special to the Star Tribune
August 16, 2014 - 7:57 PM
Jimmy Hockett has been coming to Burnsville's Alimagnet Park
every day for the past two years with his dogs, Krumb and Millie.
The retired postal employee also started bringing his neighbors'
two dogs, Charlie and Bandit, because he couldn't bear the
thought of them sitting at home alone while their owner was at
work.
As Hockett, of Burnsville, put ice cubes in water bowls for the
dogs, he talked about how the socializing has been invaluable for
Andrea Feikert's tiny dog Bella, who ran along the fence with a
pack of dogs.
"It's nice to have playmates come every time," agreed Feikert, of
Burnsville. "She really has come out of her shell here. Before, she
would just sit on me or under the table here."
"All the dogs are really friendly," said Jan Mueller, of Apple Valley,
who brings her dog, Beezer. "They get up on the table and go from
person to person."
The three regulars chat at a picnic table under a shelter, and the
http://www.startribune.com/printarticle/?id=271460581
(left to right) Russ Reetz, of Prior Lake; Scott Rein, of
Shakopee; Dana, Rian, and Lane Reetz, of Prior Lake,
watched dogs at Spring Lake Regional Park.
Photos by Liz Rolfsmeier • Special to the Star Tribune,
1 of 6 8/18/2014 12:46 PM
StarTribune - Print Page
socializing seems to be equally good for dog owners. Many south
metro dog parks have a similar coffee club atmosphere, and that,
along with the obvious benefit of having a well -exercised dog, may
help account for their surge in popularity.
Earlier this year Newsweek reported that the number of dog parks
in major U.S. cities jumped from 353 in 2008 to 617 in 2013.
The Twin Cities' south metro has kept pace, with several opening
in recent years and more coming in the near future.
Next month, Shakopee's first dog park will open. Savage will open
a second one this fall. Though still in the planning process, Dakota
County has been outlining a large one for its soon -to -be -unveiled
Whitetail Woods Regional Park, between Farmington and
Rosemount.
Here's a look at some existing south metro dog parks and a
glimpse of the ones to come.
Spring Lake Regional Park
The 10 -acre Spring Lake Regional Park off -leash area opened a
couple of years ago.
It includes a separate small dog area, with its maze of pathways
cut through the brush and small trees, a hit with my own little dog.
There's an automated pay machine for the daily pass fee (it
accepts credit cards), water for drinking and for washing dogs, and
restrooms.
http://www.startribune.com/printarticle/?id=271460581
Sylvie played a game of fetch at Alimagnet Dog Park in
Burnsville.
Feed Loader,
Kim Dikken, of Apple Valley, gathered around a group of dogs
in the small dog area at Alimagnet Dog Park in Burnsville
Liz Rolfsmeier • Special to the Star Tribune,
2 of 6 8/18/2014 12:46 PM
StarTribune - Print Page
http://www.startribune.com/printarticle/?id=271460581
As at some other parks, regulars keep things in order. Jeff Cullison, of Prior Lake, held up a washcloth that he said he
recently started bringing to the park. He emptied the communal silver water dish and wiped it before he refilling it with water
from a plastic jug.
Dog waste can be a problem at off -leash areas, but Dana Reetz, of Prior Lake, said that's not an issue here. "They say at the
front door that there isn't a poop fairy," she said, "but I think there is."
If there is one, it's Scott Rein, of Shakopee, who regularly takes on the thankless task of wheeling around a tub, which he fills
with abandoned droppings. No one pays him, and people sometimes give him strange looks, but, he said, he doesn't care.
Rein's Siberian husky likes to hunt mice there in the winter, so awhile back, he said, he put some pressure on the park to
pack down the trails in the winter, which they do, he said.
"This is just so convenient for me," he said of the park, adding that his dogs "go crazy coming down the gravel road."
Cleary Lake Park, Prior Lake
Mark Themig, Scott County's parks chief, says the off -leash area situated at the southern end of Cleary Lake Regional Park
is one of the most heavily used in the entire Three Rivers Park District, stretching into Hennepin County as well.
The parking lot is full on a Sunday morning, and a parks employee sits in his truck watching the vehicles. (If you come, bring
cash for the pay box.)
Kelly and Mike Dupasquier, of Prior Lake, visit the park every day after work with their dogs, Madison and Bauer.
They walk the wide, grassy path that runs the perimeter of the park, and my dog follows theirs, disappearing in the brush
along the path, and reappearing further down. Fencing surrounds a pond in the center: owners can choose to let their dogs
access it, or not. At the park entrance, there are restroom and water facilities, as well as a picnic table, where regulars gather.
At this park as well as Spring Lake, the cost of a daily pass can be applied toward an annual Three Rivers off -leash pass.
Alimagnet Park, Burnsville
3 of 6 8/18/2014 12:46 PM
StarTribune - Print Page
http://www.startribune.com/printarticle/?id=271460581
The road to Alimagnet Park runs past crowded sports fields and a busy playground, and the dog area is generally just as full.
Established in 2001, it has a strong volunteer force behind it, and in 2005, "Dog Fancy" magazine ranked it the 3rd best dog
park in the nation.
The park has a separate dog area for small or fragile dogs. In the main area, a path circles a pond, and on the eastern end is
a wide open space for running.
In the winter, visitors are treated to a heated shelter area, heated dog bowls, and lights for evening walks. The park doesn't
require a daily fee, but people are strongly encouraged to purchase a $20 annual membership.
Thresher Fields Park, Eagan
Eagan opened an off -leash area in Thresher Fields Park two years ago. The drive to the park winds through a commercial
industrial area.
In early evening, the park is quiet, except for the sounds of the nearby soccer field, the steady hum of a nearby plant and
planes flying in low overhead.
Wood chip paths wind through the woods and lead down to a lakeshore area with gated access. There's a separate area for
small dogs, and water and restrooms are open during warm months. Users should purchase a yearly $20 permit with the city.
Dakota Woods, Rosemount
Dakota Woods is a 16 -acre fenced wooded park, with trails that wind through the trees and a large open area for running
dogs.
"We opened up what we thought would be a sleepy little off -leash dog area," said Katie Pata, Park Operations Coordinator for
Dakota County Parks. Then she laughed: the park is incredibly popular, with the number of passes sold ($5 daily; $42.85
annual) increasing every year. Users are requesting more space.
To answer demand, phase two of the master plan for the county's Whitetail Woods Regional Park, which opens next month,
4 of 6 8/18/2014 12:46 PM
StarTribune - Print Page
includes another dog park.
http://www.startribune.com/printarticle/?id=2714605 81
While still a couple of years out, Pata said the approximately 20 -acre park will sit to the west of the current off -leash area.
They are planning a separate small dog area, as well as spaces for training hunting dogs and a small area with risers for dog
agility demonstrations. There also may be a rental facility for events like dog birthday parties.
"Pets are really becoming part of people's family units," said Pata. "There could be some really fun features like that."
Shakopee
According to Shakopee's director of Parks and Recreation Jamie Polley, the search for a dog park location began in 2005.
Construction for the city's first off -leash area, part of the larger Southbridge Community Park, started in June, and while
delayed about a month because of spring rains, sections should open early in September. The official grand opening is
October 23.
The dog park will be about ten acres, with a quarter acre area designated for small breeds. In the main area, about a half mile
of trails loop through one of the only stands of oak savanna in the city.
Savage
Savage opened its first dog park three years ago, downtown, on the north end of the city. City Administrator Barry Stock says
its popularity made officials want to open one on the south side.
However, "we didn't really have any land we could free up," he said, adding that the remaining land in the area was either
wetlands or developed.
So the city approached Three Rivers Park District about using part of its Murphy-Hanrehan Park, and developed a
partnership. The city will foot the bill for paving a portion of Murphy Lake Road and the trailhead parking area. Themig said
construction, also behind due to the wet spring, should be completed in late September or early October but could be sooner.
5 of 6 8/18/2014 12:46 PM