Dog park fencing versus flood protection
Readers of the City Beat sounded off recently on a fenceless dog park in Grand Forks.
Council musta heard ya. A bunch of them said they want to see some fencing even if it pisses off the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The corps frowns on anything that might catch flood debris on the wet side of the dike. At least that's what city engineer Al Grasser and Council member Curt Kreun says.
But Council President Hal Gershman says dog owners have waited two years already so he's prepared to see exactly what the corps will say.
Kreun replied that maybe now is not the time to test the corps because the city's on the fast track for getting its floodplain remapped. That means when the dikes are done, homeowners wouldn't have to wait very long to stop paying for flood insurance.
Some readers suggested building a dog park with fencing somewhere where it won't get flooded. City officials had looked at that but can't find the parking needed.
Sound off: So, anybody got an idea where to put that dog park? Let's hear some ideas, eh?
Update 5:46 p.m., 5/17/06: Here's a thought. If you watched Council TV a few weeks ago, you'll remember Council member Doug Christensen wondering where those park dedication fees that developers have to pay go. He said he wasn't seeing new parks in the south end, where his ward is.
Well, couldn't they put up a dog park in the south end somewhere? To do so, I imagine the city would have to buy some land or take a chunk out of an existing park, assuming the park has adequate parking.
By the way, the answer to Christensen's question was that the south end has plenty of parks: Sunbeam, Optimist and Ulland, not to mention the Kings Walk Golf Course. Also, many homes in the south end are towards the east and that's where that thing called the Greenway is coming in.
Update 2:29 p.m., 5/18/06: Former East Grand Forks Council member Laura Driscoll was trying to get a dog park going over there or anywhere before she left last year. She weighs in here:
Council musta heard ya. A bunch of them said they want to see some fencing even if it pisses off the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The corps frowns on anything that might catch flood debris on the wet side of the dike. At least that's what city engineer Al Grasser and Council member Curt Kreun says.
But Council President Hal Gershman says dog owners have waited two years already so he's prepared to see exactly what the corps will say.
Kreun replied that maybe now is not the time to test the corps because the city's on the fast track for getting its floodplain remapped. That means when the dikes are done, homeowners wouldn't have to wait very long to stop paying for flood insurance.
Some readers suggested building a dog park with fencing somewhere where it won't get flooded. City officials had looked at that but can't find the parking needed.
Sound off: So, anybody got an idea where to put that dog park? Let's hear some ideas, eh?
Update 5:46 p.m., 5/17/06: Here's a thought. If you watched Council TV a few weeks ago, you'll remember Council member Doug Christensen wondering where those park dedication fees that developers have to pay go. He said he wasn't seeing new parks in the south end, where his ward is.
Well, couldn't they put up a dog park in the south end somewhere? To do so, I imagine the city would have to buy some land or take a chunk out of an existing park, assuming the park has adequate parking.
By the way, the answer to Christensen's question was that the south end has plenty of parks: Sunbeam, Optimist and Ulland, not to mention the Kings Walk Golf Course. Also, many homes in the south end are towards the east and that's where that thing called the Greenway is coming in.
Update 2:29 p.m., 5/18/06: Former East Grand Forks Council member Laura Driscoll was trying to get a dog park going over there or anywhere before she left last year. She weighs in here:
I was home last weekend for graduation and heard that there is still debate about the dog park. Casper has an off-leash dog park that seems to function well without a lot of regulations. The park is along the river, which provides swimming opportunities, and there is no fencing. The dogs just stay in the park with their owners. The most interesting thing about the dog park is that the walking/bike trail goes right through the park. There are signs alerting people that they may encounter dogs off leash for this segment of the trial but this doesn't seem to deter people from using the trail. Not everything needs to be regulated.
posted by Tu-Uyen at 12:02 AM
14 Comments:
It's fairy sad that Moorhead has their dog park setup before Grand Forks. We put off too many things and procrastinate, well the city council does. I found it interesting hearing Gershman say he wants to test the Army Corps. I don’t see how the city couldn’t take down the fence in time if the water starts to rise. If the predictions show high water, then take it down ASAP. We would have plenty of time, in my opinion.
To be honest, I would like to see the dog park in the downtown district. But there are hardly any spots to put it besides the wet side of the levee. If I were to choose another spot, I would choose somewhere else along the Red River. I think a dog park along the river would make it very beautiful looking. Slap a pond in there to but it has to be cleaned. :)
Put it inside the fence at Wonder Years Day care. That way everyone can walk their dog and child at the same way. And Suzie Nadeau can talk to everyone there.
Take out one of the soccer fields at Bringwatt, one corner would be great for small dogs!!!
A dog park requires responsible owners, so having fencing is not a necessity but having responsible users is. Owners need to have the ability to control their loose dogs even within a fenced area. The primary concern is finding a place where the loose dogs will not bother people with leashed dogs or those who do not wish to interact with dogs, so without a fence it should be away from the pedestrian/bike paths. I have visited numerous parks in larger cities where good dogs can be offleash without causing trouble or needing fencing.
what was the point of doren yellow bird's story today? how many softball stories can one person possibly do on one reservation?
Hey JGS,
I heard city engineer Al Grasser say that sometimes you wouldn't be able to predict flooding fast enough, especially in the summer. That's one reason removable fencing might not work.
Ral, you made me laugh with that comment. How is it possible that it is so easy to put up a floodwall but so hard to take down a dog fence? :)
True, Tran. We can always expect those heavy thunderstorms during the summer time here and it can spur minor flooding. But I don't think it will be a life and death situation because the river waters typically recede pretty quickly.
Correct me if im wrong.
JGS, you're probably right. I really ought to call the corps and see what they really think.
On the other hand, if water rises, won't it damage the fencing?
Maybe I'm forgetting something, but I don't remember too many summer floods in the past that came up out of nowhere and wouldn't have allowed city workers enough time to remove fencing...
You're right. I don't either. But I've only been here six years.
I also don't recall any major summer floods that came out of no where. But sometimes you can get some severe thunderstorms that can last a good hour or so and dump heavy amounts of liquid(1-2in/h). But again, I don't recall and past summers like this. So this is where they wouldn’t have enough time to take it down. Maybe I’m just thinking too much.
why even put the park in a location to have to worry about this? just put it in a "dry" area of town and no problems about fencing arise. Easy solution...you would think
Someone out there has a large tract of fenced land... maybe a retired farmer... and they could rehab the field and charge a $2 fee for dog admittance. Talk about a money making machine! Then, they could take some of the money and craft an agility course. Tack on another couple bucks to use the agility course. Even more fun, add a mini-golf course. Charge a couple more bucks for that. If I had the dough and the land, I'd do it ASAP!
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