Reserve Street Reserve Dog Park Trott Park Draft Concept Plan Consultation Findings June 2015 Page 1
1.1. Contents 2. Introduction... 3 3. Draft Concept Plan Development... 4 3.1. Dog and Cat Management Board Guidelines... 4 3.2. Location... 4 3.3. Design Elements... 5 4. Community Consultation Program... 5 5. Community Consultation Findings... 6 6. Summary of Key Comments... 7 6.1. Phone Responses... 8 6.2. Email Responses... 8 6.3. Survey Responses... 11 6.4. Social Media... 17 6.4.1.City of Marion Facebook Post (21 May)... 17 6.4.2 Amanda Rishworth MP Facebook Post (18 May)... 18 7. Appendicies... 19 7.1. Information Sheet... 19 7.2. Website Project Update... 21 7.3. Making Marion On Line Survey... 22 7.4. Hard Copy Survey... 24 7.5. Messenger Column (12 May 2015)... 26 7.6. Sign on Site... 26 Page 2
2. Introduction This report presents the consultation process, findings and analysis of the Reserve Street Reserve Dog Park Draft Concept Plan. The information contained in this report will be used to inform the development of a final concept plan. Reserve Street Reserve is located at Adams Road, Trott Park. The reserve is 4.5 hectares and is classified as a Neighbourhood reserve in Councils Open Space Strategy. Neighbourhood reserves are typically larger open spaces that cater for a broader catchment and may cater for a range of activities. Existing facilities at the reserve include; Playground equipment Picnic facilities (BBQ, Shelter & Seating) Water tap, Bins and Signage Internal paths Informal off-street carpark Council s Animal Management Plan supports the planning and development of formalised dog exercise areas within the City. In December 2014, Council accepted a State Government Grant of $100,000 for the development of a dog park in Trott Park. Page 3
3. Draft Concept Plan Development The draft Concept Plan was developed in line with industry guidelines, budget constraints and technical design considerations. 3.1. Dog and Cat Management Board Guidelines In 2013, the Dog and Cat Management Board developed a guideline Unleashed: A Guide to Successful Dog Parks. The guide was developed to address the growing interest and role that off-leash dog parks are playing in our communities. As housing densities increase and backyards become smaller, the role of public spaces to provide meaningful opportunities to exercise, interact and get out and about with our pets is becoming more important. The guide provides planning, design and operational information to assist Councils in creating well-designed, well-used and enjoyable dog parks. The Dog and Cat Management Board guideline was used to inform the design of the Reserve Street Reserve Draft Concept Plan. 3.2. Location Additional sites in Trott Park / Sheidow Park were assessed for suitability of a dog park to test the nominated location of Reserve Street Reserve, Trott Park. Of the three sites assessed (which included Nari Reserve, Sheidow Park and Hessing Crescent, Trott Park) Reserve Street Reserve met the most objectives for the development of a dog park in the catchment. An understanding of behaviour in using dog exercise areas and the layout of Reserve Street Reserve, determined that the dog park should be located; In close proximity to the key parking route (which is generally the most accessible main road, ie. Adams Road) To ensure that a safe access and egress of dogs to the park, without the playground being a thoroughfare in connecting parking with the dog area. Sensitively located as to not impact on the existing biodiversity corridor. In a location where the size of the dog park is sufficient for dog exercise. Page 4
3.3. Design Elements An assessment of the site and the guidelines for the development of a dog park provided various design elements for consideration. These elements were then prioritised in consideration of the available budget and meeting minimum standard requirements. Items included in the Draft Concept design; Dryland grass (unirrigated) An enclosed area of 4150sqm 1.8m high black PVC fence with two airlock gate entrances Water tap Mulched landscaping and additional trees for future shade The above items allow for the establishment of a dog park with the understanding that future evaluation and budget availability may allow for additional items to be incorporated at a later stage (if required). These items may include; Irrigated grass surface Internal pathways Informal lighting Seating and shelter Drink fountain Formal car parking 4. Community Consultation Program Community consultation occurred over a 3 week period from 6 May to 27 May and included; Website Project Page Information Sheet Mail out Messenger Column Social Media (Facebook) On line Survey (Making Marion) Consultation materials are provided as Appendix 1. Page 5
5. Community Consultation Findings Consultation responses direct to City of Marion included; 1 phone call 9 emails 11 on-line surveys 4 hard copy surveys Comments on social media Consultation responses were also generated through cross promotion of the project through; Corey Wingard MP Website Amanda Rishworth MP Facebook Page 6
6. Summary of Key Comments The key comments received have been summarised below and includes responses received by phone, email and both online and hard copy surveys. A tick denotes where additional comments have been raised on the same topic. Level of Support Support the development of a dog park Don t support the development of a dog park Design Provide a section for small dogs Needs water taps, with drinking fountain for people & dog bowl A grass surface Locate the dog park in a different area of the reserve (near old sheds) Needs formal car parking areas Seating Shelter Mounds to explore Large enough for dogs to run free Widen the northern end of the dog area Include dog bag dispensers, self-closing gates Don t need agility equipment Need toilets Lighting Maintenance Ensure its well maintained Need improved maintenance of biodiversity corridor Concerns Traffic - Safety concerns for dogs and children Negative impact on householders, their lifestyles and property values Dog barking will be an issue Totally against it, waste of money Dog parks create conflict Locate the dog park in a different reserve Use the money to install shade over the playground General Comments Plan for a dog park in Hallett Cove as well Dog parks are great for the elderly and people with disabilities Page 7
6.1. Phone Responses 1 response was received by phone. Strongly against the location within the reserve. Catastrophic for him and his family who are shift workers. Worried about sleeping during the day. Prefer the location near the sheds / horse area. Prefer the money to be spent on shade over the playground. Also concerned with playground removed from Tyson Reserve, no one uses the seats there now, there s not even a kick about space anymore. Biodiversity corridor is a fire hazard, the weeds are now chest height. How often do they re-assess it? 6.2. Email Responses 9 responses were received by email. Hi, I saw some information about the proposed dog park at Trott Park, excellent news. The information proposed that the area was mulched, from my experience and talking with other dog owners, the dogs much prefer a grassed area. Friends and I have used the dog park at Aberfoyle and the dog park in Oaklands road, our dogs definitely preferred Oaklands road, grassed area. Something for consideration, many thanks. As a Trott Park resident and owner of two large dogs, I am in support of a new dog park within the Trott Park Community. My concern of all dog parks is that small dogs and large dogs are loose together which does cause fear and stress for most responsible dog owners. Will the new park have two sections? One for large breed and one for small? If this has not been considered I put forward that it please be a consideration for this new park. It would be wonderful to have a dog park at Trott Pk. One needed in Hallett Cove too. Very exciting news about a dog park being built in Trott Park!!! Just wondering if it will have a section for small dogs only? I am a resident living next door to the proposed dog park area and I would like to inform you that I would definitely not like a dog park next to my home nor near a children's playground. There are many areas within Trott Park that I would consider as better options. First option being along the newly opened area beside the southern expressway. Second option being the reserve next to the Neighbourhood Centre and Community Gardens and third option being at the top of the park near the old sheds. These are ideal locations away from homes, families and residing pets. Having a dog park so close to neighbouring homes only creates further problems for our own pets being disturbed by the sounds and smells of frequent dogs and visitors to the area thus creating complaints from neighbours because our dogs would be barking. I sincerely hope you take these suggestions very seriously as I am completely opposed to this outline suggestion. Page 8
I have a few suggested improvements for the Dog Park, Reserve Street Trott Park. The park area appears to be very narrow at the top end, only about 4.5 Mtrs wide. This could be improved by continuing the western fence in a straight line rather than having a "dog leg" in it. The BBQ picnic area could be moved up to the north a small distance to maintain the separation from the dog park. See attached sketch. Car parking appears to have been completely left out of the planning, (as usual). What are they doing to the Hallett Cove Shops carpark, but that is another story. Not everyone using the dog park will be within walking distance of the park, especially senior citizens. I would suggest that consideration be given to a car park off the end of Reserve Street, in addition to another car park somewhere on the other side of the park. My Google maps shows no current car parks for the reserve. I am assuming there will be two water taps and these will be more than just a "tap", i.e. drinking fountain for people and a drainable bowl for dogs. Thank you for the opportunity to input to the design of the dog park. I live in Whiteley Drive, Trott Park in the Marion Council area and received information from the Marion Council regarding the proposed Dog Park at Reserve Street. We (our family) don't own a dog and so can't really comment on the proposal except to say that it looks fine. However, we were wondering about car parking for dog owners that bring their dog(s) to the park. Currently there are around 8 or so parks off Adams Road near the Whiteley Drive roundabout and some parks along Adams Road. Do you, as planner, believe that this will be sufficient? There are not many dog parks around and it may be quite popular. Page 9
I've just received a letter from you as I was one of the people desperate for a dog park around Hallett cove, sheidow park, Trott park. I'm thrilled it's finally happening. The Oaklands road dog park is a good example of what we want.just lots of maintained grass with seats, shade, water bowls for the dogs, bag dispensers and self-closing gates. It looks like you are providing all of that. This park you will find will be very very popular...most people from up here go to the Oaklands road park. We don't need fancy tunnels, agility equipment or bark underfoot. The dogs paws are very sensitive and running along on bark or stones could cause injury. I don't go to the aberfoyle dog park for this reason. I work for the RSPCA so I'm thinking from the dogs perspective. Also...I feel strongly the park needs to be cut in half...one for big dogs and one for small dogs. Most owners of small dogs are scared to have their pooch run around amongst big dogs and want to stick to their own size. Can this be considered please as it's quite important. The North Adelaide dog park has two sections which is very popular. There definitely needs to be a few water taps and bowls and drinking fountain for owners. Also you will find there will be a big demand for toilets for owners as most owners stay at the park for a hour or so. I'm thrilled this is happening and thank you very much for the letter. We are residents living opposite to the proposed area for the dog park. As we have a dog ourselves, we welcome the idea of a dog park, however what concerns us is the positioning of this one. Because of where it is positioned, we are very concerned about the safety of dogs and children due to the nature of the traffic along this stretch of Adams Road. Despite the roundabout, people absolutely fly down this stretch of road, and due the the crest of the hill where the roundabout sits, it is very hard to know a car is coming around. Because the park entrance is pretty much off Adams road, there will be a lot of congestion as there is only one side of the road cars can park on. Dog and children will be very excited as they exit cars and we worry that they will run onto the road where it is busy with speeding cars and buses, and cyclists. We wonder if the park could be placed elsewhere in the reserve where people can be encouraged to part maybe along Scarvell Ave, and also have the dog park entrance here as that road is much quieter, and there is ample parking. We are not against a dog park, but we fear that this one will cause many road accidents with colliding cars, and severe injuries to children and dogs in the high likelihood that they will go onto the road. Page 10
6.3. Survey Responses 11 on-line and 4 hard copy surveys were received. A copy of the survey is attached as appendix 6.3 (online) & 6.4 (Hard Copy). See below for the results of the survey. Page 11
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Do you Support the development of a dog park? Please tell us why or why not? Comments in Support It would be excellent to be able to let dogs off leash in a safe enclosed area. So I can stay for longer and he can drink and will be fenced. It's healthy and important that a dog can be let off a leash and be able to actually run. A designated area where dogs can socialise is what the area needs. Long awaited, great to see a secure area for a dog park being developed locally (seeing as Adams Road is quite a busy road). We 100% support the development of a designated dog area within Reserve Street Reserve as it is much safer and more social for the dogs. We would also support the area being divided into 2 sections, 1 for small dogs and 1 for large dogs to reduce the risk of possible dog fights or fear of them from the owners. Because I won't let my dogs off the lead unless it's a fully fenced area... for no other reason than I'm a little overprotective and feel it's safer for everyone. I also really enjoy getting to know other dog lovers... I work for RSPCA so this is just an extension to my work. Don t live close but there is a need for dog parks in Hallett Cove and Trott Park. Dogs need areas where they can run free and socialize with other dogs without getting runover by cars. Especially young dogs. I have taken my guide dog puppy to Oakland s Rd dog park which is very good and gentilly dog park at Gillies plains. Playgrounds and dog parks are fenced separately so they can co-exist. It is important to have a LARGE safe area to exercise large dogs so they can run freely and socialise with other dogs. Much needed but should be closer to houses (Reserve st end, near the shed). So my son can play on the playground while I walk my dog. Page 13
Comments Not in Support My next-door neighbours have a dog that is rarely walked and as the park is right next to my back fence (in Tyson Avenue), it barks a lot when there is a dog in the park, so he will be barking a lot more if more dogs will be using the park. I also have a cat who gets scared easily, so occasionally when there's someone calling their dog in the park, she'll race inside, so if there was more dogs in the park, she might get scared outside more often. Also, I like the park as it is as it's nice and open for people to walk through, but if there was a sectioned off area for the dog park, it wouldn't feel as open. Because what has been proposed in this area has not been placed into an area that will not affect the householders and their lifestyles and property values. Too Dangerous. Parking on Adams Rd will be terrible. Housing will be devalued. Please tell us your priorities Enough parking I would like to see this park use a designated "puppies and small dog" zone and an "all dog" zone. We have used the North Adelaide dog park on Robe Terrace and this system is very good. It allows very young dogs (who are often scared - especially if large dogs approach) to socialise better in their early months. Also small dogs are often intimidated and scared by large dogs. This can be achieved easily by have a central fence dividing the area in two. From my experience an irrigated grassed area is important as non irrigated areas become dustbowls in the warmer months. A segregated small dog section only in conjunction with the overall park would be the only way I can use the dog park. Of the items listed that are not currently funded, the most important would be lighting (so dogs can be exercised safely early in the morning or later at night - as it is also not level ground). Shelter would be the next priority and seating maybe, but a shelter more important for Page 14
weather. Internal pathways are not really essential, there to walk dog/s, not people... Divided areas for large and small dogs and multiple water stations. You only have to look at Oaklands road dog park to see what is needed. Several taps with dog bowls, grass, seats, parking and shelter Also...I feel there needs to be two sections to the park...big dogs and little dogs If possible, some kind of fencing that quietens barking for nearby residents. Seats, water, places for dogs to run, maybe some pathways, mounds to explore. Many parks and open spaces could incorporate a small fenced in dog park, like a playground for dogs, others with larger open spaces for dogs to run. Sometimes it might be better having an area for small dogs and separate for large dogs. Large fenced area with easy access car parking Making a path for dogs to walk on in a park seems to defeat the purpose of walking your dog in a park. (Total waste of funds) Providing shelter for dogs in a park contradicts not supplying shelter over play equipment for our children in playgrounds. (Shiftworkers sleeping) (Carparking) (Dogs Barking) We don t use dog parks as out dog is deaf. It is way too dangerous. Page 15
Do you have any other comments or suggestions regarding the future of exercising of dogs in Council parks and reserves? As an owner of a small/medium long haired dog - I am concerned that this is uncared for "grass". In my experience if the grass is not irrigated during summer it dies off and weeds which are full of seeds and burs take over. A visit to this type of park turns into a 1/2 hour exercise in combing out the seeds and burs on returning home. A visit to this type of area turns into a muddy bog in the winter months - again not somewhere I would willingly take my dog. Further - if there is no shelter from the sun in summer (and little trees can take 10 years to provide any meaningful shade) - it would make this park very unpleasant in the warmer times. Have a look at the new Port Elliott enclosed dog park, it is fantastic!! We would also support the area being divided into 2 sections, 1 for small dogs and 1 for large dogs to reduce the risk of possible dog fights, or fear of them from the owners. Dog parks are great for disabled or elderly people who can't walk a long distance to exercise their dog but can safely let their dog off the lead in the park and can generally stay in the park while the dog wears themselves out. I've seen many elderly and disabled people at the Oaklands road dog park that would not be able to exercise their dog any other way. Also...it's a great meeting place for dog lovers New to the area and have no idea where this reserve is. Can the info and survey be amended to provide more information about the location of the proposed park? Large dogs need lots of exercise and the best exercise is when they can run free. Good for people good for dogs. It is really important to have an area LARGE enough for dogs to run freely. If the area is too small or not accessible people will not use it. I have a dog park near my home which is too small therefore very few people use it unlike the Hazelmere Reserve where there is always people and dogs because it is large and well maintained. Yes, Serious dog owners do not let their dogs run unrestrained in areas where conflict can occur. Unless they are trying to prove their dog is bigger and tougher than other dogs! Totally against it. Page 16
6.4. Social Media 6.4.1. City of Marion Facebook Post (21 May) Page 17
6.4.2 Amanda Rishworth MP Facebook Post (18 May) Page 18
7. Appendicies 7.1. Information Sheet Page 19
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7.2. Website Project Update Page 21
7.3. Making Marion On Line Survey Page 22
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7.4. Hard Copy Survey Page 24
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7.5. Messenger Column (12 May 2015) 7.6. Sign on Site Page 26