Memo- Hopkins Dog Park
Public Warks Department
Memorandum
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
Copy:
Rick Getschow, City Manager
Park Board Members
c.tfb
From:
Steven J. Stadler, Public Works Director
Date:
May 18, 2006
Subject:
Hopkins Dog Park
This Council Worksession item is to update City Council on the results of the May 15
public informational meeting and on the subsequent Park Board action regarding the
proposed dog park.
On May 15, 2006 the Park Board held a public informational meeting on the proposed
dog park. Twenty-six residents attended the meeting. Most of the attendees were
Meadow Creek Condominium owners opposed to the dog park. On a show of hands,
there were seven residents that were in favor of the dog park. The meeting opened
with a city staff presentation (see attached power point slides) followed by public input
until all in attendance had an opportunity to speak to the Park Board.. A majority of
those in attendance did speak. A Meadow Creek Condominium (MCC) owner
presented a petition opposing the dog park that was signed by 60 MCC residents. A
summary of the objections to the dog park follows:
. MCC owners chose to live in their complex partly because of the no-pet rule and
the relatively uninterrupted natural areas across Westbrooke Way. The dog park
will introduce many more dogs into the area, lower the value of the natural area
by disrupting the wildlife with the dog presence and negate the natural
appearance by introducing a 5' high chain link fence.
. Concerned that there will be a parking problem in the summer while the garden
plots are being used. The parking demand will exceed the available on-street
parking resulting in dog park and garden plot users parking in the nearby MCC
parking lots.
. The new dog park will add noise to a relatively quiet area.
. Concern that MCC owners will lose the use of Westbrook Way for parking while
their parking lots are being plowed in the winter.
. Concern that the dog park will pollute nearby Nine Mile Creek.
. The dog park fence will hurt u'sers who need the large open green space, i.e.,
archery, kite flying, model airplane flying, etc.
i
The dog park advocates at the meeting stressed that dog parks are relatively passive
sites that are well-maintained by the responsible dog owners who use them. Many
Hopkins dog owners will benefit from having an off-leash area to exercise their dogs.
After hearing all the public input the Park Board members felt that more information was
needed on the MCC parking concern. Several members agreed to do a random survey
on the use of the on-street parking along Westbrooke Way. The survey will be done
over the next two months during the.6 - 7 pm time period. The Board agreed to report
on the parking survey results and consider the dog park proposal again at the July 24,
2006 Park Board Meeting. This action was approved on 3-1 vote with Robert
Edmonds opposed.
The Park Board was also interested in trying to get more information on how many
Hopkins residents would benefit from a dog park. I'm not sure at this time how that
information will be sought.
Attachments:
1. Dog Park presentation
2. Sample of MCC petition
3. Public Meeting attendance list
4. MCC letter - May 16 2006
5. Letter to Sandra Miller, MCC President - May 172006
.
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2006
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Board Meeting
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public Meeting - proposed Dog Park
- - -
-
d Why a dog park'? o TrafflC
t
o What's a dog park~ 0 Other potential impacts
o proposed location 0 City costs & roaintenaIlce
o llours of operation & o Next stepS - proposed
schedule
rules
o Parking 0 Questions, conunents or
concerns
o rark Board recei-ved a citizen re<{Uest that the city
consider building a dog park.
WhY a dog park'!
o Dogs are popular and people want a safe place to
socialize and exercise their dogs.
o After uwestigating dog park re<{uire11len.ts. and
-visiting area dog parks- rark Board declS10n to
l'roceed.
.
What's a dog park?
An off-leash, usually
fenced area with
D
for users
g
exercise and socialize
scan
here do
specific rules
andw
and dog owners can
socialize.
.
.'
.
.~. ~~~:~~~~<(J;~ ~. .~. :'.~~;~~:'~f~~~-'
Proposed
Location
.
.
.
Proposed
Location
Benefits of proposed location
-
- - -
o Existing large, maintained open space
o Parking aV'ailable
o Trail access
o Buffered from residential areas
o No feasible alternatiV'e recreational uses
~
I
.
rroposed construction
o APproximatdY 0.85 acres
o 5' high chain link fence
o. Double-gated entrance area
o ModiflcatiOns to existing archery range
Cit'1 o~ HopKins
009 par\( Ru\es
\"\ours: 1:00 a.ro. to \1".00 p.ro.
. . \ ..,nile in tne d09 par\<
pJI d09s roust display current \"\op\<.lns lcense
Dogs roust be leaSned ..,nen entering or leaving tile dog par\<.
. dust be \easlled and rerooved
p,t tne fIrst sign 01 aggreSSIOn, O9s ro
cni\dren roust be supef\/iSed
cni\dlE'n under ~ 2 cannot supef\/iSe dogs
Sic\<. d09s or dogs in neat are not a\lo..,ed to enter
Clean uP alte! your d09(s)
Dogs roust be under control at all tiroes
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
-parking
is il11-portant
AdeCluate parking
o
o proposed site haS:
. 35 adjacent on-street stalls
. Additional 12 stalls at "alley rark, all with trail
accesS to dog park or garden plots
o Concern with close proximity of .
Meadowcreek condominium par\o1lg lots
TrafflC
-
o current traffic is light
o ADT == 1,200
o Peak pM hour (5-6 pm) northbound trafftc ==
81 or one V'ehicle eV'ery 45 seconds
o Peak pM southbound trafftc is 48
o Additional dog park trafflc will be minimal
and after the pM peak traffic
,
i
I
\
I
impacts
Other potential
.
iSsues
o Noise
o Security
o Smell
-Haw not caused problems at other area dog
parks and are not expected to be a problem
here.
o Esti11lated cost for fencing, archery range re-visions,
signS, etc. =" $15,000
o raid with rark Dedication Funds .
o Maintenance costs offset by increasing dog hcense
fees to $12Iyr, $2012 yrs, $2813 yrs
City costs & maintenance
\V orks parks 11laintenance
Maintenance by rublic
staff, includes:
. 'Trasb rerooval & litter control
. Grass cutting
. periodic wood cbip spreading
o
\
proceed with changes to original proposal
Table further action to allow tiroe to investigate/resolve
.
any lSSues
Drop proposal entirely
o "park Board considers public input and decides hoW
to proceed, options are:
. Proceed as-is
Next StepS - proposed schedule
.
.
.
o "park Board briefs City Council at May 23 City
Council W orkSession
,
Next Steps - proposed schedule
-
o If decision to proceed:
. May 23: Brief City Council at W orksession
. June/July: Install fence, modify archery range
. September 1: Open dog park
Q'JESTIO~S'!
\
May 12, 2006
To: My Neighbors
Subject: The Proposed Dog Park near Smetana and Westbrooke Way
As you all know from the letter that was posted on your door yesterday, the Hopkins Park Board
is considering opening an off-leash dog park at the south end of Valley Park near the intersection
of Smetana Road and Westbrooke Way,
I am opposed to this for several reasons:
1. It will increase traffic and air pollution in our neighborhood.
2. It will increase noise in our neighborhood due to the presence of more people, more
vehicles, and the dogs themselves,
3. It will adversely affect the presence of deer, birds and other wildlife in our park.
4. Over time, we will begin to smell dog feces as a resuh of the large numbers of dogs in the
park.
5. I have visited other dog parks and eventually, the grass in the park dies as a result of
heavy traffic and animal feces.
6, Given that MeadowCreek has a "No Dog" policy, those ofus who live in this
neighborhood will not benefit from the dog park and I don't think we should be asked to
sacrifice our quality of life so that it can be here.
The Park Board will meet at 6:30 pm on Monday, May 15 at Hopkins City Hall to discuss this
plan. Please come to this meeting and let the Board know how you fuel about the dog run,
If you can't attend the meeting but are also opposed to the off-leash dog park, please sign
your name at the bottom of this letter and return it to me. (If you like, you can leave me a
phone message and I'll pick your letter up Sunday evening.) I will be attending the meeting and
would be happy to let the Park Board how you feel.
Thank you.
~
Anne Dene1sbeck
1014 Westbrooke Way, #4
952-939-1031
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* {hobbs@opp:nneinrr.ant
Meadow Creek
Condominiums
(952) 935-9565
Fax (952) 935-9269
E-mail: office@meadowcreekcondos.com
823 Old Settlers Trail, Suite 101 . Hopkins, MN 55343
May 16, 2006
Mayor Gene Maxwell
City of Hopkins
1010 First Street South
Hopkins, MN 55343
Re: Proposed Dog Park on Westbrooke Way
Dear Mayor Maxwell:
I am writing you on behalf of Meadow Creek's 380 resident homeowners. As I have
advised Mr. Joshua Montgomery, Chair of the Park Board, along with Mr. Richard
Getschow and Mr. Steven Stadler, Meadow Creek is opposed to the proposed dog park.
I attended the Park Board meeting last evening along with a number of other Meadow
Creek owners including several members of the Meadow Creek Board. After listening
carefully to the questions, comments and discussion, we have the following questions,
which we would greatly appreciate having answered: ~>
1. What other specific locations were considered, and why were each of them
rejected as a possible location for the proposed dog park?
2. What if the proposed location did not exist, what would be the second choice for
the location of the proposed dog park?
3. What consideration was given to the fact that the proposed location for the dog
park is in a far comer of Hopkins?
4. What is the projected use of the proposed dog park, and what methodology was
used to arrive at that projection?
5. How will use of the proposed dog park be monitored? If there are problems, who
and how will the problems be addressed? Who would the resident owners of
Meadow Creek contact to insure that action is taken to address the problems?
MulA
- , MEMBER
Managed by Dunbar Strandness, Inc.
~
EOUA~H~IHa
OPPORTUNITY
MEADOW CREEK: Letter to Mayor Gene Maxwell
May 16, 2006
Page 2
We would also greatly appreciate it if before making any final decision on the proposed
dog park, the Council would give the resident owners of Meadow Creek an opportunity
to express their concerns directly to the Council.
Sandra L.
President
~
cc. Joshua Montgomery,
Chair, Park Board
Richard Getschow,
City Manager
Steven Stadler,
Public Works Director
Cityoj%pkins Pu6{k 11lorkJ
11100 'E;tCcefsior'B(va. 0 Jfopkjns, '1Yf!J.[. 55343-3435 0 Plione: 952-939-13820 !F11l(l952.939-1381
We6 aaaress: www.liopkjnsmn.com
May 17, 2006
Sandra L. Miller, President
Meadow Creek Condominiums
823 Old Settlers Trail, Suite 101
Hopkins, MN 55343
RE: Hopkins Dog Park
Dear Ms. Miller:
I'm writing to report to you on the action taken by the Hopkins Park Board,
following the public input, at their May 15 meeting,
First, Rick Getschow & I really appreciated the ability to meet with you and Doug
Strandness on May 9 to discuss the concerns regarding the dog park and the
other three issues, i.e., request for equipment to monitor for water leaks, the
asphalt path, and the rural design section of Smetana Road. I will provide a
follow-up shortly on the other issues we discussed,
There were many condominium owners that provided input at the May 15 public
informational meeting on the dog park. Thank you for your assistance in getting
the word out on the meeting. There was, I thought, a very good exchange of
information. As a result, the Park Board members were given a very clear
understanding of the specific concerns of Meadow Creek condominium owners.
Following the public input, the Park Board took the following action on the dog
park proposal:
The members felt that more information was needed on the parking
concern. Several members agreed to do a random survey on the use of
the on-street parking along Westbrooke Way. The survey will be done
over the next two months during the 6 - 7 pm time period. The Board
agreed to report on the parking survey results and consider the dog park
proposal again at the July 24, 2006 Park Board Meeting. This action was
approved on 3-1 vote with Robert Edmonds opposed.
The Park Board was interested in trying to get more information on how
many Hopkins residents would benefit from a dog park. I'm not sure at
this time how that information will be sought.
Partneritre witli. tlU. Community to 'Enhmta tlU. QjJdity of Life
t Inspire + 'Etfuc.ate . Invo{ve . Communu.ate .
The Park Board action will be reported to the City Council at the May 23 Work
Session. This work session will be held in conference room 204 at the Hopkins
Center for the Arts, 1111 Mainstreet, starting at 6:00 pm.
Thank you for your interest and active participation in the public process. The
best outcomes are achieved when the public is involved and engaged in the
decision making,
If you have any questions or concerns, please give me a call at 952-548-6350 or
email atsstadler@hopkinsmn.com.
Sincerely,
Steven J. Stadler
Public Works Director
Cc: Doug Strand ness, Property Manager