Sparwood Off-Leash Dog Park Summary The District of Sparwood is investigating the potential for establishing one or more off-leash dog parks in Sparwood. Off-leash dog parks provide dogs and dog owners with safe places to let their dogs run, play and be social. This benefits more than just dogs and dog owners, because it directs these users to a specific area where this activity is permitted. There are concerns around the District of people using other areas, such as baseball diamonds, for letting their dogs go off-leash. While bylaw enforcement is one mechanism for reducing this behaviour, it is impossible to enforce 100% of the time. Having designated off-leash parks to point these users to would be another effective way to achieve the desired outcome of keeping off-leash dogs out of other areas. A survey was created to gauge public opinion about where a park could go and what it might look like. The survey was completed 126 times, providing a valuable amount of data on public opinion for this initiative. We heard that respondents were interested in having simple parks that would be easy to access, without impacting neighbouring uses (i.e. children s play areas or residential areas). Respondents had simple tastes, rating things like fencing, having an open area for play, and shade higher than things like multisurface or terrain features. Respondents also showed strong interest in having a volunteer committee/ambassador group to help with the park, and many offered their names to contribute their time if one was created. The feedback we received from this survey will help guide decisions about where the parks should go, what they should look like, and how they should be operated. This report provides detail on the survey results, how it was distributed, and where we will go from here. What we did A four-page, 15 question survey was created to gauge the preferences of residents with regards to an off-leash dog park. The content of the survey sought to answer questions such as where should the parks go (or what types of locations make sense)? What amenities are necessary in the parks? How can we make the best park possible? And what concerns do residents have about off-leash dog parks? The survey was open from early July to September 15, 2017. In order to reach as many people as possible, surveys were distributed both online and in hard copy. Hard copies were available at the District Main Office and at the Recreation and Leisure Centre. Poster boards advertising the project and the survey were put up at strategic, high traffic locations where there are known issues with residents having dogs off-leash.
Figure 1: Four of these posters were placed at strategic locations across Sparwood A dedicated web page was created for the park project which had a fillable survey right on the page. This web page will continue to be updated as the project moves forward to give residents a dedicated place to get the most current information on the project. Four Facebook posts and four Tweets were posted, linking to the web page and the survey. A media release was issued and blog post was written for the website to kick-off the project. The media release garnered some interest from local media, and staff provided audio interviews to local radio stations. Figure 2: Facebook post and project website about the off-leash dog park project and survey
Who responded The survey was completed 126 times. Four Facebook posts were shared 18 times, reaching almost 7,000 people and getting 36 likes and 9 comments. Twitter posts reached over 1,000 people. Lower Sparwood and Sparwood north of the Elk River were equally represented, with 48% of respondents being from each part of Sparwood. 4% of respondents were from outside of Sparwood Where did Survey Respondents live? 4% 48% 48% Lower Sparwood North of the Elk River Outside Sparwood The majority, nearly 87%, of respondents were dog owners, and another 2% were planning on getting a dog at some point in the future. When advertising the survey, we made it clear that input was needed from all residents, including those without dogs. This result suggests that dog owners may be the most interested in the off-leash dog park project. Respondents were also active users of District parks and trails, with nearly 50% using parks or trails daily, and almost 85% using them at least weekly. This tells us that respondents had some familiarity with existing parks and trails, such as what is available and where existing facilities are located. What we heard The following points summarize each question that requested an opinion from the respondents. 1) Preferences for a site in lower Sparwood (south and east of the Elk River and Michel Creek) and why? Respondents were varied in their site selection and rationale. Not all respondents chose specific sites, noting instead that they thought a park should be close to existing amenities, for example. There was nearly equal preference given to having a park that was accessible and close to existing amenities as there was preference for a park that was more removed from existing areas (such as playgrounds and residential areas) to avoid impacting other land uses. There were also some respondents who were unsure, some who would be happy with a dog park anywhere, and some who were against the idea of a dog park. Responses most commonly fell into one of four areas as follows (in order of preference): Near the recreation and leisure centre Behind the Teck Office/Mountain View School
Lion s Park Along the Elk River Trail 2) Preference for a site north of the Elk River and Michel Creek, and why? There was more uncertainty for a possible location north of the Elk River than south of it (over 25% of respondents to this question said they were unsure). Some comments suggest that people are less certain of what lands are owned by the District in this area, or what land might be eligible for a park. Similar to the responses for lower Sparwood, there were some respondents who would be happy with an dog park anywhere, and some who were against a dog park. Still, there were some locations that were commonly identified (in order of preference): Near the Ski Hill or Disc Golf Course Near the Ball Diamonds Along Highway 43 at the corner of Sparwood Heights Drive 3) Rating common features of dog parks to see what preferences the community has for a made in Sparwood dog park. Respondents to this question demonstrated simple tastes for a dog park. The top five features rated most frequently as Important or Very Important were: Open areas for running Full Fencing Shade Drinking water availability Bulletin board (i.e. for notices of upcoming maintenance, or community notices) Similarly, more complex features were rated more commonly as less important. The following five features were rated most frequently as Not Important : Sand box (for dogs who like to dig) Shelter (for dog owners) Variety of terrain features (i.e. mounds, stumps, and boulders) Double entry gates Separate large and small/shy dog areas While some comments supported the concept of a simple off-leash parks, some others placed a high priority on safety, and also two of the features listed above: double entry gates and separate large and small/shy dog areas. 4) Value of having a volunteer dog park committee/ambassador group. The was a great deal of interest in a volunteer committee/group for the dog parks, with 88% of respondents answering Yes to at least one of several questions asking about the value of such a group. A series of Yes/No questions were provided to see if there were particular aspects of the creation/operation of a dog park where a volunteer group would be particularly useful. These included design of the park, fundraising for park amenities, educating users about the park, monitoring park
conditions and activity, maintenance of the park, and identifying dog-related issues outside of the park. There was support for the committee/group having value for each of these features, however the two lowest supported were keeping the park tidy (i.e. cleaning up) and identifying issues outside of the park. Comments from respondents for these two components suggest that they believe dog owners have the most responsibility for keeping the park tidy, namely, picking up after their dogs, and that the District should be responsible for dog-related issues outside of the park. 36 respondents said they would be interested in contributing their time to be part of a volunteer committee/ambassador group for the dog park. 5) Other comments about an off-leash dog park. This open-ended question was intended to gather any final thoughts on off-leash dog parks. Comments were also provided throughout the survey as several questions included open-ended space for comments. A variety of opinions were expressed, but a few trends appeared. Having dog owners clean up after their dogs, regardless of where, was a common concern. Possible remedies for this include having clear rules, convenient garbage cans, and dog bags available at the off-leash park. In addition, education and community enforcement, through a possible volunteer group, in tandem with bylaw enforcement could help to address this concern. Another common response was the need for the off-leash park as a way to stop users from illegally using other areas, such as ball diamonds, as off-leash areas. Lastly, some respondents (approximately 9%) did make it clear that they were against the idea of an offleash dog park, noting that there are already sufficient open areas in Sparwood to accommodate offleash dogs. Where we will go from here This report is provided alongside an informational report to Council to summarize key information to date as an update for this project. Following this, staff will proceed to move forward with design and development of the off-leash dog park. The public will be updated on the progress of this project as each major decision is made, and input will be sought to ensure that any potential concerns are addressed before the park locations and designs are finalized.
OFF-LEASH DOG PARK SURVEY The District of Sparwood is investigating the establishment of one or more off-leash dog parks. We are looking into creating one in Lower Sparwood and another in Sparwood Heights. The goal for each is to create an area where dogs can run and play in a safe environment. Off-leash dog parks allow owners and their dogs to spend time together and offer dogs a space for play and socialization. Best practices tell us that the off-leash dog parks should be thoughtfully located and designed to reduce potential conflicts inside the parks and with nearby land uses. Our plan is to collect input early in this process and continue to engage with residents over the next year on potential dog park boundaries and design. The District is looking for input from all residents, whether they have a dog or not. We need your input, so please complete and submit this survey by September 15, 2017. 1. Do you own a dog? (please or X) Planning on getting one Questions: 2. How often do you use public parks or trails in Sparwood? (please or X) Daily Weekly Monthly Rarely/Never 3. What area of Sparwood do you live in? (please or X) Lower Sparwood/Downtown/Uptown Sparwood Heights/Whiskey Jack/Lodgepole/Elk Valley Mobile Home Park Michel Creek Road area/spardell Matevic Road area Outside Sparwood: 4. If you were responsible for selecting a site for an off-leash area in lower Sparwood (south and east of the Elk River and Michel Creek), what site would you select and why? 5. If you were responsible for selecting a site for an off-leash area in Sparwood north of the Elk River and Michel Creek, what site would you select and why? Off-Leash Dog Park Survey Page 1 of 4
6. Here is a list of common features in off-leash dog parks. Please rate each of the following features desired in an off-leash dog park, and add any others you think are missing: Feature Not Important Slightly Important Important Very Important No Opinion Fully Fenced Variety of terrain features (i.e. mounds, stumps, and boulders) Durable surface treatments in high traffic areas (i.e. entry points) Benches/Seating (for dog owners) Double-entry gates Drinking water availability (i.e. fountain) Lighting Water feature for dogs Walking path/trail loop Open areas for running and play activities Separate large and small/shy dog areas Shade Shelter (for dog owners) Sand box (for dogs who like to dig) Bulletin Board (i.e. for notices of upcoming maintenance, or community notices) Other: Other: Off-Leash Dog Park Survey Page 2 of 4
7. In several other communities, it is common for a volunteer-based dog park committee/ambassador group to be created to help with dog park stewardship, design, fundraising for park construction, and education of park rules. Do you think that a volunteer-based committee/ambassador group for the dog park would be an effective way to: Help create the best park design? Fundraise for dog park amenities? Educate other users about dog park rules? Monitor and report on activity/conditions at off-leash dog parks (i.e. damage, maintenance)? Help keep the off-leash dog park tidy (i.e. picking up dog waste that was missed, filling in holes dug by dogs etc.)? Help to identify issues or concerns related to dogs in other parts of Sparwood, outside of the off leash areas? Off-Leash Dog Park Survey Page 3 of 4
8. If a committee/ambassador group existed, would you be willing to contribute your time to be a part of such a group? t sure 9. Do you have any other comments about off-leash dog parks in Sparwood? Thank you for completing the survey! District staff will use this input to guide site selection and detailed design of the future dog parks. Updates about the project will be posted on our website at www.sparwood.ca/dogparks. If you are interested in being further involved in site selection and development/design of the dog park off-leash areas, please provide your contact information below: Name: Email: Phone: Please submit your responses by September 15, 2017! Responses can be submitted to: The District Main Office at 136 Spruce Avenue The Recreation & Leisure Centre at 367 Pine Avenue sparwood@sparwood.ca THANK YOU FOR YOUR INPUT AND CHECK SPARWOOD.CA FOR UPDATES ON THIS PROJECT! Off-Leash Dog Park Survey Page 4 of 4