The Park Board approved a fenced dog off-leash area with amenities as part of the Sunset Park Upgrade.
This fenced off-leash area was the first project to incorporate the strategy’s design guidelines which includes various surface materials, a looping path, formal and informal seating, shade, and drinking water for people and dogs.
In round 2, we’re asking for your feedback on the key draft recommendations, and the discussion guide provides information about how these ideas were developed.
Your feedback will help us refine the draft recommendations. They will be presented to the elected Board of Commissioners in spring 2017 for review and approval.
In round 1, we asked you what is important to you when it comes to people with and without dogs sharing Vancouver’s parks, including opportunities and challenges.
After considering this feedback, historical materials, other information such as mapping and analysis of Vancouver’s off-leash areas, and the experiences of other cities, we’ve developed draft recommendations for dog activity in Vancouver parks.
On July 23, 2012, the Park Board approved dog off-leash area guidelines, including a fencing guideline (item 5 below) that was amended in response to public feedback.
Location: Dog off-leash areas should be conveniently located across the city, providing for both neighbourhood and destination use. Off-leash areas should be carefully located within parks, considering other park uses and environmentally sensitive areas.
Rules: Dog off-leash areas should be available all day for off-leash use. The Park Board and Animal Control should continue to work together to decrease conflicts.
Communication: Websites and signage concerning dog off-leash area locations, boundaries, and rules should be clear and easy to understand.
Design: Dog off-leash areas should be attractive to dogs and dog owners, and constructed with durable, dog-friendly materials.
Fencing: Fencing or natural barriers should be used to reduce conflict, prioritizing high-conflict areas and ensuring appropriate fencing and separation for each park. (This guideline was amended to reflect public feedback.)
Implementation
The process to update the park master plan, that was paused in 2015 for the completion of the People, Parks, and Dog strategy, has resumed.
The People, Parks, and Dogs strategy identified Grandview-Woodland as an under-served neighbourhood for off-leash activity.
An underutilized parking lot was re-purposed to support off-leash dogs in Renfrew Community Park.
The Park Board approved a fenced dog off-leash area with amenities as part of the