Saturday, September 5, 2015

Our Dog Park

It seems the newspaper is spending a lot of time on our dog park this past week!  We printed out the whole article but added a link too in case you want to click it.  In the first article, they wrote it without actually talking to mom or the mayor.  Everything was taken off Facebook pages (for the Dog Park & Mayor). The second one is actually the Editorial that was in Friday's newspaper.


Standard-Examiner correspondent
    
Shares: 28
NORTH OGDEN — The city’s new dog park is so popular that parking has become a problem.
The park, at 2600 North and 850 East, has eight designated spaces, and dog owners aren’t supposed to park along 2600 North or from the park to the corner of 850 East. But residents living on those streets say it’s happening anyway.
Since the park opened in May, it has been more popular than city officials expected. Police have been patrolling the area and residents have been telling visitors where designated parking is available, to little avail.
“We somehow need to reorient the signs and red-stripe the curb (at 850 East),” City Councilman Phil Swanson said. “The neighborhood is tired of being the parking police.”
People have complained on both sides of the issue with long Facebook posts on both the mayor’s and dog park’s pages. The city council and mayor also have received complaints in person.
“The dog park has been a big success and we are happy for that, But the parking situation is what it is and is not going to change anytime soon,” Mayor Brent Taylor said.
Expanding the parking lot would cost about $40,000 and the city has no plans to do that.
“If there are not enough spots, people can walk to the dog park or park their cars at the Barker Park parking lot and walk to the dog park. Or come back at a later time,” Taylor said.
Barker Park is across 2600 North, about a block away, but the parking is further south, about two blocks.
Parking isn’t the only problem. Some patrons aren’t keeping their dogs on a leash before getting to the park and some allow dogs to defecate on lawns or by other cars.
The city recently informed Carol Campbell, one of the organizers who made the dog park possible, that the North Ogden Police Department would be stepping up patrols in the area, enforcing parking rules and the leash law. Campbell also is encouraging patrons to bring bags from home in case the cleanup stations at the park run out.
Campbell posted on the Facebook page and spoke at several city council meetings to report volunteers are still learning how to run the park to minimize conflict with the city and residents.
Resident Aubrey Obrey wrote on Facebook that she knows the parking is not ideal but she appreciates Taylor keeping his promise to monitor traffic near her home on 850 East.
One thing has been made clear by city officials — no parking will be allowed on 2600 North for the dog park, no matter what. Swanson suggested that the police be especially vigilant about ticketing those parking there.
*****

    
When it comes to the com­plaints about park­ing ac­cess to the new, very pop­u­lar dog park in North Og­den, we agree with the sen­ti­ments ex­pressed by that city’s mayor, Brent Tay­lor.
“The dog park has been a big suc­cess and we are happy for that. But the park­ing sit­u­a­tion is what it is and is not go­ing to change any­time soon,” said the mayor.
There are cur­rently eight spaces set aside to park at the park at 2600 North and 850 East. Res­i­dents who live there have said that dog own­ers are park­ing along 2600 North and from the park to the cor­ner of 850 East. That’s sup­posed to be off lim­its.
It would sim­ply cost too much for North Og­den to ex­pand park­ing di­rectly at the park. But this should not be a prob­lem. Those walk­ing their dogs have ac­cess to park­ing. As Tay­lor adds:
“If there are not enough spots, peo­ple can walk to the dog park or park their cars at the Barker Park park­ing lot and walk to the dog park. Or come back at a later time,” says the mayor.
He’s right. There is park­ing two blocks away, fur­ther south. People who are al­ready walk­ing their dogs, and hav­ing the an­i­mals en­joy the dog park, should not have con­cerns about walk­ing the pets two blocks. In our opin­ion, the dogs would love the ex­tra walk­ing time and at­ten­tion.
Pet own­ers need to be aware that the North Og­den Po­lice Depart­ment is plan­ning to in­crease its pa­trols of the dog park area.
City park­ing rules and leash laws will be en­forced. The ex­tra two blocks to walk if the park­ing ac­cess is full needs to be­come the norm. The pub­lic has had time to be aware of what’s le­gal and what is not.
Dog parks im­prove the qual­ity of liv­ing for our com­mu­ni­ties. We’re very pleased that the North Og­den dog park is a big suc­cess. But the rights of the res­i­dents who live there, as well as the city’s park­ing laws, need to be re­spected as well.

Murphy & Stanley

19 comments:

easyweimaraner said...

I hope all that probs can be solved soon. For me it would be ok, to walk from a parking lot to the park, so we lose some energy on the way and we will not enter the park in rocket-mode :o) I cross my paws that your dog park will be always the peaceful and friendly place for dogs and peeps, may no war in the neighborhood disturb this great place....

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
Oh yes doodz, saw this when mum linked it from the health bloggy... I was almost afraid to ask if anything further had arisen on the matter. I do so hope that this doesn't become more than it needs to - for heaven's sake, everyone would have known the situation ahead of time surely?... Though of course, the trouble will be the users who disobey the 'set piece'; will add this to POTP because keeping peace is as much a matter of well-being as any health issue!!! Hugs and wags, YAM-aunty xxx

WFT Nobby said...

Let's hope these are just teething problems. In a way, it's good to be dealing with issues arising from the success of the park. Gail and I think any dog owner who can't walk two blocks should be thinking carefully about whether they should own a dog…
Toodle pip!
Bertie.

The Adventures of the LLB Gang said...

Sheesh....some humans need to realize what their legs are for!!
We hope this hasn't been too much of a pain for your Mama and Daddy!!
Smileys!
Dory, Jakey, Arty & Bilbo

Cookie's Comments said...

I thinks I am very lucky. We have a dog park in our apartment complex (which I consider mine cos usually there are no others there when we go) and about a mile away we have the big Udall Park which has a great doggy park. I LUVS going to Udall and I am very good there with all the other doggies. Mum does not take me there as often as I want, but she has promised when the weather gets cooler, we will go more often.

Frankie Furter and Ernie said...

We think that is is GOOD that there are parking problems... it shows just how POPULAR and WANTED and NEEDED ... YOUR Dog Park REALLY IS... THAT is a BIG Squirrel Tail in your mom's cap!!!
We think that the NEIGHBORS should start working on a FUND RAISERS ... to get additional parking they would "BENEFIT" from that and so would the folks who Go to the Park.
Let them have Yard Sales and stuffs like that... they could get the money in NO TIME... and then EVERYBUDDY would be happy...

LBJ said...

Sorry to hear there are problems but with them stemming from the park being so popular that's a good thing that hopefully can be worked out. I would LOVE to visit your park, but Mom said it's too far to walk from Chicagoland.

Abby Lab

Samantha said...

I wish we had ANY dog park here! But we have none. :(

Scooter said...

Sseehhhhszzzz.. Is 2 blks really that hard to walk?

Wags
Oreo

My Mind's Eye said...

Good grief some folks are JUST never happy...but usually they are the ones who did NOTHING to get an event or a park started.
Ohh a dance and a new house on wheelies...hey maybe we can have the dance in your new wheelie house mol mol mol
Hugs madi your bfff

Cowspotdog said...

that wasn't very clever thinking to only have 8 parking spots - we sure hope they can figure a way around that issue other wise people and doggies will stop going there

zoepheedogs said...

Wow! You just can't please everyone! I do think it's a good idea for the people to park a bit of a distance and walk to it because getting some energy out of the pups with a walk is good for them before they go into the dog park. Calmer pups are happier pups in dog park situations!

Bella Roxy & Macdui said...

Well....that shows the Council how much the dog park was needed! There'll always be teething problems, as there will always be people who don't obey rules. Glad it's such a success!

Idaho PugRanch said...

Great that the park is very popular. Hopefully the kinks can get worked out so all can be happy!
hugs
Mr Bailey, Hazel & Mabel

Ruby Rose and the Big Little Angels 3 said...

Oh the problems humans cause when all we want is a place to pee and play

KB said...

I'm glad it's been such a big success. It sounds as if some wrinkles just need to get ironed out. At our dog parks, people can donate their excess plastic bags to the supply of poop bags. Perhaps you could do something like that? I hope that the conflicts can get smoothed out so that everyone can enjoy your great new park!

Ruby said...

Oh my! What drama! Wells, I hopes the city gets it figured out. Maybe F&E are right, you need to raise some green papers to gets a parking lot (would the city allow it if it didn't cost them anythings?)
then everyone would be happy! I thinks your peeps did a most FABulous thing, and your Moms should be very proud of herself, and I thinks there will be a solution....smart peeps can always figure it out!
Murphy, I gots something to ask you, butts I will do it in a postie this week...butts, I hopes you will not accept any invitations to the dance...CRAP! I let it outta the bag didn't I???!! shhh, forgets I said anythings...☺
Okays, I'm goin' outside to bark at you under the stars!!!
Kisses,
Your Boo Ruby ♥♥♥

Millie and Walter said...

Sounds like the park is very popular. We hope some of the issues can be worked out so everyone can be happy.

corkscot said...

Our newest dog park is causing problems too. People re parking on the grass. There is no paved area near the entrance to the park. They are complaining that there are not enough handicapped spaces. No one is ever happy. We have no shade and Florida is hot most of the year. Good luck pleading everyone.