The city wants residents to get their paws on four proposed designs for a new dog park and give their opinion online.
The four designs for the Lacombe Lake Dog Park were unveiled at a public open house Wednesday night. In addition to soliciting feedback there, the city has an online survey it is hoping future park users will fill out.
All four proposed designs incorporate benches, signage and garbage bins for what Fido leaves behind.
The four designs do take different approaches on separating dogs and their owners from non-dog owners who might prefer to keep their distance.
Interestingly, none of the four proposed designs would put a fence in place to keep the dogs in place.
John Younie, manager of major projects and parks planning with the city, said the volunteer citizen design committee did not want a chain link fence and looked for other ways to create that separation.
“There is no hard, fast rule that says every dog park needs a fence.”
Younie said following Wednesday’s open house many residents seemed to agree with the committee’s approach.
“There were very few comments that I have heard so far asking where is the fence and there are even a few comments saying thank you for not including a fence.”
St. Albert’s bylaw allows dogs off leash as long as they are not on a trail or within one metre of one.
Younie said to keep dogs away from the trail on the west side of the park, the committee is considering a couple of options including removing the trail all together, though he said that one was not warmly received.
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The other options for creating the separation include doing nothing or options that would use shrubs to create the barrier between the trail and the more open area.
Some designs include a gazebo, though Younie said that could be a very simple structure.
“It could be something as basic as a bench with a pitched roof over the top of it.”
One design proposes a dog launch, where pups can get in and out of the lake more easily.
Younie said the design committee will take the feedback they get on the designs and incorporate it into a final design, which will go before council in June.
The city has budgeted $100,000 for the project and expects to install or build the park this year.
A proposed dog park just south of Levasseur Road was put on hold to allow Altalink to raise the power lines in the area.
The website for more information and with the online survey is www.stalbert.ca/Lacombe-Lake-Dog-Park.
