Correspondence: Proposed Off-Leash Dog Area in Chilco Park - D. Emrich

From: Dewain Emrich Sent: Friday, June 11, 2021 3:48 PM To: Mayor And Council Email mayorandcouncil@viewroyal.ca Subject: Fw: Failure Notice

I agree with the comments by Kashi Tanaka below and am against the installation of an off-leash dog pen in Chilco Park.

I further consider that approval of such a pen would lead to approval of the requests by other members of this area who have come around with petitions for the park to be further sectioned off for Tennis Courts, Paved Basket Ball court, paved hockey court etc thus destroying the current multiuse flat, open green space that may be enjoyed by everybody.

Dewain Emrich 16 Newcastle Court

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Forwarded message From: Kashi Tanaka Date: Thu, Jun 10, 2021 at 10:24 PM Subject: Chilco Park Off-Leash Dog Park Proposal To: mayorandcouncil@viewroyal.ca

Dear View Royal Council,

Thank you for receiving and considering my correspondence. I am writing to oppose the proposal to install a secure off-leash dog park in Chilco Park. My reasons in brief are the detrimental impact to the immediate area, the inadequate facilities and infrastructure, and the existence of more viable options in the area. I will expand on each of these in my email.

Existing Research

I would respectfully point out to Council the City of Vancouver's Park and Dogs Strategy (https://vancouver.ca/files/cov/people-parks-dogs-strategy-implementation-guide.pdf). This is a thoughtful and detailed guide and if applied to the space under consideration helps demonstrate why Chiclo Park is not a suitable location. I will touch on the specifics in my email.

Impact to Chilco Park

Chilco Park is the only level-ground play space in View Royal west of the Trans-Canada-Island Highway interchange. The playground and field are used daily as a place to meet, to have picnics, for kids to play sports, and for families to spend time together. It is a precious and finite space. Carving out a section for an off-leash dog park would be an unfortunate decision as the park can currently be used by everyone, whereas a dog park would only be used by dog owners. I would also note that off-leash dog parks do not necessarily need to be situated on level ground.

I would submit that off-leash dog parks and playgrounds in close proximity are not a best practice. The above mentioned guide suggests a minimum setback distance of 50 to 75 m and/or use of secure fencing with a 5 m buffer zone where no dogs are allowed (even on-leash); buffer planting or other barriers to prevent children from putting fingers through fencing; and dogs completely restricted from playgrounds. Meeting these requirements in Chilco Park would be a challenge and would result in a small space for dogs. Within View Royal there are only two instances of off-leash dog parks being located within 100 meters of each other and in both cases (View Royal and Portage Park) there is a substantial green barrier between the two entities in the form of shrubs and trees. No such barrier could be established within Chilco Park.

A consideration for any public space must be how different users will engage with the space, including those who will not abide by the rules. Consider Chilco Road, it is marked as 30km/h, but many drivers exceed this, some at double or more the speed limit. To address this the neighborhood petitioned for speed bumps which we are grateful the City installed in recent years. This has not eliminated speeding, but it has mitigated it. Absent regular enforcement, speed bumps are a good, passive way to address speeding on Chilco Road. The notion of adding an off-leash dog park to Chilco Park must similarly consider individuals who do not abide by the rules. Using the park after hours, not cleaning up dog feces, or bringing poorly behaved dogs (and I understand it is not dog’s themselves that are the problem but the owners). Chilco Park is already enjoyed by numerous dog owners. Some abide by the rules and keep their dogs on leash, most do not. Dog feces is a daily and disgusting obstacle and the building of a dog park will only exacerbate the number of owners ignoring the current bylaws as well as their dog’s bodily functions.

The grass in Chilco Park is fragile, as you may know when the area was developed the topsoil was stripped off and what is left is a thin layer of dirt sitting on clay and rock. As such the drainage is poor and during the winter months the dog owners that currently use the park inflict considerable damage. I would note that work was done earlier this year to improve the soil conditions, an off-leash dog park would almost certainly render the field barren and dusty or muddy depending on the season. The City of Vancouver's Strategy recommends that for spaces like the one proposed that either fine crushed gravel or synthetic turf be installed. The latter option would be expensive and the first option is hard on dogs paws, unsightly and both options require regular maintenance.

Impact to the Neighborhood

An off-leash dog park will have a significant negative impact on the Thetis Vale neighborhood. Dog parks, in particular ones like the one proposed, are noisy and unsightly. Given the current proposal the most analogous off-leash dog park would be Vic West (125 Wilson Street, Victoria). It is a fully fenced enclosure of a similar size as the current proposal and during peak periods it is busy and noisy. It is also an ugly space; the area is bare of vegetation and is dusty during the summer and muddy in the winter. As previously mentioned, it is an inevitability, given the soil condition in Chilco Park that an off-leash dog park would look the same within a few years if not months.

For the immediate neighbors the building of a dog park would be simply awful. Families have bought properties all around Chilco Park because it is an open and safe space. Installing a dog park would bring down property values and be a constant source of anguish due to noise and the unsightly grounds.

It is important to note that no other off-leash dog park in View Royal is situated this close to residences. The City of Vancouver Strategy is quite clear on respecting the impact on residential neighbors. The mitigations listed include: setback distance, mounds, dense vegetation, solid fencing panels, and signage to respect local residents and discourage persistent barking. The current proposal offers none of these mitigations. This would be an unprecedented decision and I believe a betrayal of the families who have bought property adjacent to the park.

Inadequate Infrastructure

Chilco Park is a lovely space, but it is also a simple space. Aside from the playground and a couple of garbage bins there are no other facilities. There are no washrooms, there is no running water, and there is very little public parking. There are also no commercial spaces in the neighboring area to provide these services. Installing an off-leash dog park will lead to an increase in public urination, littering and put dogs at risk from overheating on warmer days due to a lack of water.

There are currently 4 public parking spaces for Chilco Park, on the street parking is for residents only. Thetis Vale is dense for a neighborhood of single detached homes. Most lots are less than 0.1 acre in size and so driveways are short and there is very little road frontage. The residents need all the road parking that is currently available. An off-leash dog park in this area will be a destination and if the four stalls are occupied there is no nearby space for visitors to use.