Residents of the Roosevelt neighborhood may soon see a permanent dog park instead of a temporary one, with two possible locations being considered.
The Roosevelt Action Association, which has been opposed to a temporary dog park, said it wishes to continue to design a dog park that is an asset to the community, city and stakeholders involved. RAA President John Coleur said the organization will advocate for a permanent park without taking sides on a specific location.
The group’s discussion on Monday focused on reducing impact on the neighborhood surrounding the proposed dog-park location. The motion was approved with only one objection, which came from committee member Debbi Schilling.
Landscape architect Jason Harrington presented two site plans.
“Site option 1 would allow a larger space, central location and sound buffering from the streets,” Harrington said. “Site 2 would have higher visibility, separation from a neighboring school and close access to the larger park.”
The two sites offer amenities such as an off-leash area, a sound-view buffer, comfort seating areas, fencing security and water spigots.
“The city wants a safe, lit area, and dog owners want a place they can unleash their dogs and mingle,” Harrington said.
Although much of the debate has been over the location of the dog park, nearby property owners are also concerned about noise and the visibility of the site.
Both sites are located south of Culver Street between Third and Fifth avenues, and they were debated heavily among the meeting’s attendees.
“Along with other residents of Roosevelt, I oppose the idea of a temporary dog park at this location,” said Bob Fouty, a property owner and resident of West Culver Street. “We also object to the profound lack of fair process which led to the suggestion of that site.”
Fouty said they started an online petition to urge Phoenix decision makers to reconsider the site.
Some homeowners contended that a temporary dog park would not be as aesthetically pleasing as a permanent, well-implemented dog park.
“If a dog park gets built as a temporary site, it may ultimately end up permanent,” said Fouty. “We don’t want to see chain-linked fences held up by sandbags.”
Design, detail and maintenance of the possible permanent dog park are still months from being debated.
Harris and the RAA agreed that the process of the idea, along with community involvement, is just as important as the design itself.
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Correction: April 17, 2012
An earlier headline on this article incorrectly stated that the RAA supported a dog park at Hance Park. It has been changed to reflect that the committee only supported a permanent dog park rather than a temporary one, without specifying a location. The story has also been changed to better emphasize that the committee did not support any particular location.
An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified the landscape architect on the project as Jason Harris, not Jason Harrington.
