Fence debates continue at city hall
The city’s community services committee is stymied on how to fund fencing for off-leash parks after it rejected a pair of motions Monday to study increasing dog licence fees to pay for the safety barriers.
The committee heard conflicting arguments about putting a fence around Grand Trunk dog park near the city’s Lauderdale neighbourhood.
A fence is necessary to keep dogs from running into the street and because the city could face liability for any serious incidents on the road, says the Grand Trunk dog park committee. The park is bordered by 127 Avenue as well as 113A and 109 streets, with no barriers to keep dogs in the park.
The committee’s chair, Ken Zahara, said three dogs have died on the roads next to the park in the past decade, and there have been many near misses and injuries.
“We need a fence because a lot of animals have died in that location, a lot of animals have been injured, and it was very clear that when we did the surveying that people said ‘We need a fence,’ ” Zahara said.
He added that Edmonton is “way behind” other cities.
“You need to do what modern cities are doing. And they’re building a complete fence,” he said.
He said the committee surveyed park users and surrounding homeowners and found support for a fence.
The community services committee also heard concerns a fence would collect garbage and become an “eyesore” and take away an open green space.
“I totally agree there should be some off-leash space for dogs, but not with a fence,” said Monica Ostrom, a resident of the nearby Calder neighbourhood.
Ostrom, who has owned a dog in the past, said she would prefer to see smaller shrubs or trees used to keep animals from the road.
“You don’t need a six-foot fence. You can have a small fence at the bottom and I can’t imagine dogs running through greenery like shrubs or hedges. Rose bushes might keep them away,” she said.
City administration has recommended the city pay for standard amenities, including waste bins, signage and trees and shrubs. But the money for specialized amenities such as fencing for dog parks should be raised by the community by applying for grants or through fundraising.
Zahara suggested two alternate sources of funds. One would be to increase dog licence fees by a dollar a year. That would produce about $60,000 each year, a sum that would pay for the fence outright in the first year and provide ongoing funds for the rest of the city’s 40 dog parks.
The other idea would be to take $60,000 of the more than $270,000 that the administration already recommended to spend on amenities like trees for the park and spend it instead on fencing.
A pair of motions to explore an increase to dog licence fees — by one dollar and five dollars — were rejected by the community services committee. As for other options, the committee has decided to wait until they have more information.
Grand Trunk is just one park that is part of a pilot program for the Dogs in Open Spaces Strategy, which is aiming to create a master plan for off-leash parks across the city.
The pilot began in April and city staff have been compiling data including numbers of park users, times they use the parks and frequency of calls made to 311 about the parks.
Community services committee chair Coun. Bev Esslinger said more can be done once that information is available, including the possibility of increasing licence fees to pay for amenities.
“It’s really an exploration,” said Esslinger. “Until we get the master strategy, we’re not going to make that decision for everybody’s park.”