Will Kirkland Be The Only Major Seattle-Eastside City Without an Off Leash Dog Area?

By on January 15, 2010 in Archived, Headlines, Opinion

By Debra Sinick

I always kid my husband that if we ever break up our dog is a real “people” magnet.  He’d have no trouble meeting people, especially the female kind, if he has Henry, our dog, by his side.  Dogs do that for their people.  Dogs are magnets for other dog lovers.


People love to talk to other people who have pets.  Dogs help break down barriers between people, making it easy for people to meet.

Therein lies the beauty of an off leash area for dogs.  Dog parks or off leash areas are as much for dogs as they are for the people who own the dogs.  Off leash areas provide opportunities for critters with 2 or 4 legs to socialize.  There are off leash areas in Redmond, Tacoma, Shoreline, Bellingham, Gold Bar, Monroe, Medina, Bellevue, Mercer Island amongst many other places, but none in Kirkland.

There’s  an active group, KDOG, Kirkland Dog Off Leash,  working hard to finish the earlier work done to put an off leash area in place in a Kirkland park.   The most recent dog park advocates joined together after Jean Guth sent out a Craig’s List message about a Kirkland dog park.  Three people answered that first Craig’s List ad.  Jean is the president of KDOG and now there’s a list of 171 people who receive meet-up announcements. KDOG is a 5013C, a non-profit group.  A petition filled with over 600 names asking for a Kirkland dog park will be presented to the City Council.

Approximately, 37% of all home owners own at least one dog.  That’s a lot of dogs and a lot of people, dogs, and people who would benefit from the interactions available in an off leash area.  This could be you or your friends and neighbors.

I don’t have a dog, so why would this benefit me?

A Dog Park or an off leash area is an added amenity to a city and its citizens.  It makes the city that much more attractive and desirable to those 37% of dog owners.

In an earlier blog post I wrote:

“Dog parks are high on the list of amenities home owners appreciate having in their community…

When we Realtors look for homes for our buyers, we look at all the location offers.  Homes with great streets, good commutes, access to shopping, good schools, parks and dog parks add value to daily living and dollars to home prices.  From a real estate point of view, a city/neighborhood dog park can only add value to living in Kirkland for everyone.

Over the years, I’ve sold a number of homes in Redmond, near Microsoft.  Marymoor, and its dog park, are a huge draw to people.

Most people want to stay near home for errands and services.  People who go elsewhere for off leash areas spend their money elsewhere, not in Kirkland.  It’s important to keep dollars in Kirkland and to support our local businesses.  It helps protect the vitality of our community for all.

Kirkland park maintenance has been drastically cut back due to budget cuts and each park needs a stewardship organization to help maintain the park.  KDOG could fill that need at a park which has a designated off leash area.

Will this cost me money?

No, KDOG has funds and can raise between $40-60,000 for stewardship of an off leash area.  Renton’s off leash supporters, RUFF, has raised close to $50,000.

Can this group, KDOG, get it together?

Yes,  they planned Go Dog Go, a fund raiser and event for dogs and dog lovers, last summer with minimal help from the city.   The group also presented a $3000 check to the city to be used to purchase dog waste bags.

Seven vendors are already on board for this year’s Go Dog Go event.

What does the Park Board have to say? (From the Park Board Memo)

To: Park Board

From: Jennifer Schroder, Kirkland City Parks Dept.

October 3, 2008

Dogs and Parks

CITY OF KIRKLAND Department of Parks & Community Services 505 Market Street, Suite A, Kirkland, WA 98033 425.587.3300 www.ci.kirkland.wa.us

MEMORANDUM

It is recommended that Park Board consider Kirkland Dog Off-leash Group’s (KDOG) request to seek City Council approval to conduct public hearings for an off-leash area in certain parks.

Background: In 2004 the Board recommended to the Council a process to follow when a citizen stewardship group voiced interest to support an off-leash area within a Kirkland park. On October 19, 2004 the Park Board recommended the following process:

Include off-leash dog areas as a program element for public consideration as part of all future park master planning projects.

When a stewardship group steps forward to champion an off-leash area, the following criteria should be followed:

Conduct a Public Hearing on park sites identified by the Park Board as sites to consider for an off leash area.

Involve Neighborhood Associations in the public process,  Funding for start up costs and ongoing maintenance should be offset by user fees, donations and volunteer stewardship.

On November 16, 2004 the Council passed Resoulution-4478 approving the Board’s recommendation regarding dogs and parks, as amended:

Include off-leash dog areas as a program element for public consideration as part of all future park master planning projects.

When a stewardship group steps forward to champion an off-leash area, the following criteria should be followed:

  • Conduct a Public Hearing.
  • Involve Neighborhood Associations in the public process
  • Funding for start-up costs and ongoing maintenance should be offset by user fees,
  • donations, and volunteer stewardship.

Jean Guth has a letter for the City Council which will be presented to the Council during it’s Tuesday night, January 19th meeting:

Dear Kirkland City Council Members,

Happy New Year from KDOG (Kirkland Off-Leash Dog Group). KDOG has established itself as the stewardship group for off leash areas in Kirkland. We are coming before the new City Council asking that the new Council Members uphold the agreement that was issued in 2004 (Resolution-4478), regarding creating off-leash areas in Kirkland. Resolution-4478 states the following:

When a stewardship group steps forward to champion an off-leash area, the following criteria should be followed:
1.    Conduct a Public Hearing on park sites identified by the Park Board as sites to consider for an off-leash area.
2.    Involve Neighborhood Associations in the public process
3.    Funding for start up costs and ongoing maintenance should be offset by user fees, donations, and volunteer stewardship.

Six years have passed since this resolution. Off-leash areas are the norm in communities now, not a novelty. Kirkland is fortunate to have so many great examples of off-leash areas to use as a model, to pick from the best practices, and it’s time to offer Kirkland residents this type of recreation. KDOG has stepped forward to provide donations and volunteer stewardship at off-leash areas. The studies have been done (see the attached history of the off-leash discussions in Kirkland over the last 6 years), it’s time to move forward with off-leash areas on your agenda.

Hmm, it sure looks like Jean Guth’s and KDOG’s request is exactly what Jennifer Schroder sent to the Park Board in her memo dated October 3rd, 2008.

The group has met the stewardship criteria for an off leash area.  The issue needs to be out there for public consideration.

How can you support an off leash area for dogs in Kirkland?

Sign the online petition and/or go to next week’s City Council meeting, Tuesday, January 19th in City Council Chambers, City Hall, 123 Fifth St. at 7 PM to show your support for KDOG.

What do you think?  Should there be an off leash area in Kirkland?

About Debra Sinick

I've lived in the Kirkland Highlands for 16 years, been a Realtor with Windermere for over 20 years, and have been blogging about the Highlands, and Kirkland in general, for over 3 1/2 years on my Kirkland blog: www.kirklandhighlandsrealestatebuzz.com. Blogging for me started out as a way to talk about real estate issues, trends, and statistics. But blogging has become far more to me. It's given me an opportunity to combine my work, my volunteerism, and my passion for Kirkland together and have a place to talk about it all. I look at the city, literally and figuratively, with far different eyes than I did just a few years ago. Kirkland is a great city with a unique ambiance and I have fun writing about it.
View all posts by Debra Sinick →

,

  • LU

    Just curious as to what park or space has KDOG targeted as the best site on which to place an off-leash park and how much space would this proposed off-leash park occupy?
    Thanks

  • LU

    Just curious as to what park or space has KDOG targeted as the best site on which to place an off-leash park and how much space would this proposed off-leash park occupy?
    Thanks

  • http://www.kirklandhighlandsrealestatebuzz.com/ Debra Sinick

    There are some parks identified, but there will be public hearings about any of the possible choices. Again, the size of the park will be discussed during the public hearings.

  • http://www.kirklandhighlandsrealestatebuzz.com Debra Sinick

    There are some parks identified, but there will be public hearings about any of the possible choices. Again, the size of the park will be discussed during the public hearings.

  • TracyD

    As a member and supporter of KDOG, I am ardently in favor of an off-leash dog area in Kirkland, and I am so proud of the hard work, volunteerism and activism of KDOG members to improve recreation and a sense of community for the dog-loving residents of Kirkland and their dogs. The many members of KDOG, with the strong and reliable leadership of Jean and Amy, have put forth a huge collective effort to raise funds and provide assistance to the Kirkland City Parks Board. I very much hope that the Parks Board will continue evaluation of proposals for either a fully dedicated off-leash area(s), seasonal off-leash area(s) or off-leash area(s) with set hours, and that the Kirkland City Council will finally wake up and pay attention to what the dog-loving community of Kirkland has been requesting for so many years (in my experience, at least 12 years). KDOG is striving to come up with off-leash area options with the most positive impact, taking into consideration the input of residents who live next to or near existing Kirkland parks (traffic, parking) and other concerns. I feel this has to happen with the research, education, stewardship and funding offered by KDOG, and the Kirkland City Council owes this to its residents (long overdue).

    • http://offleashmeetup.com/42/ Amy

      Off-Leash Areas/Dog Parks have been requested by Kirkland Citizens for over 7 years now. KDOG has provided itself as a responsible stewardship group, and is ready to move forward with the resolution passed by the City Council in 2004. KDOG is prepared to do the fundraising for fencing, ground cover, signage, education, trash removal, maintenance, etc. We,, like every other city in Seattle and on the Eastside want neighborhood areas for recreation with our dogs, and the opportunity to participate in the community that forms at off-leash areas. From Bothell to Olympia, each city had opened a dog park or is in the process. Most Kirkland citizens do not have time to drive to another city each day for off-leash exercise/play with their dog. We want to spend our money in Kirkland, not stopping for coffee, dry cleaning, groceries, pet supplies, pet grooming, etc. in other cities each time we must leave Kirkland to go to a park. We want the opportunity to be “Kirkland First.”

      A resident of Mission Viejo, CA seemed to explain the need for local dog parks best. Bo Klein writes the following, “Mission Viejo is about the last major city in Orange County without a dog park, some cities have more than one. Why? because they are successful and serve the residents needs. All too often, dog parks are misunderstood as to whom they serve. Its not the dogs, but the dog owners whom are tax paying residents.
      A dog park is a form of socialization for people as well as their animals and why should not these taxpayers have the same public facilities as sports parks and children playgrounds? Not everyone has children involved in sports using parks or children using playground equipment. Not everyone swims in public pools. They just happen to have dogs and need a public area to allow the animals to get their needed exercise while they get to know and socialize with their own neighbors. A soccer field or baseball field is not about the actual ball used..its for the participants and spectators. Same about dog parks..its not the dogs, its the dog owners who matter……Any one who has ever spent any time at a dog park will discover a very friendly and amicable bond between those who utilize such facilities. The common bond, is the animal.”

      While there will be numerous benefits to Kirkland dog owners and their dogs, there are also significant benefits to a community. The American Kennel Club states, “These areas prevent off-leash animals from infringing on the rights of other community park-goers such as joggers, small children, and those who may be fearful of dogs. Parks also make it easier to enforce its leash laws, as resident dog owners with park access have no reason to allow their canine companions off-leash when outside the park. Having residents with their dogs in off-leash areas also helps to deter crime at the park. “

      The community pride in keeping off-leash areas well maintained is always obvious when I visit any off-leash area. We at KDOG look forward to having this same opportunity. I recommend that the City Council moves forward with the proposal KDOG presents.

  • TracyD

    As a member and supporter of KDOG, I am ardently in favor of an off-leash dog area in Kirkland, and I am so proud of the hard work, volunteerism and activism of KDOG members to improve recreation and a sense of community for the dog-loving residents of Kirkland and their dogs. The many members of KDOG, with the strong and reliable leadership of Jean and Amy, have put forth a huge collective effort to raise funds and provide assistance to the Kirkland City Parks Board. I very much hope that the Parks Board will continue evaluation of proposals for either a fully dedicated off-leash area(s), seasonal off-leash area(s) or off-leash area(s) with set hours, and that the Kirkland City Council will finally wake up and pay attention to what the dog-loving community of Kirkland has been requesting for so many years (in my experience, at least 12 years). KDOG is striving to come up with off-leash area options with the most positive impact, taking into consideration the input of residents who live next to or near existing Kirkland parks (traffic, parking) and other concerns. I feel this has to happen with the research, education, stewardship and funding offered by KDOG, and the Kirkland City Council owes this to its residents (long overdue).

    • http://offleashmeetup.com/42/ Amy

      Off-Leash Areas/Dog Parks have been requested by Kirkland Citizens for over 7 years now. KDOG has provided itself as a responsible stewardship group, and is ready to move forward with the resolution passed by the City Council in 2004. KDOG is prepared to do the fundraising for fencing, ground cover, signage, education, trash removal, maintenance, etc. We,, like every other city in Seattle and on the Eastside want neighborhood areas for recreation with our dogs, and the opportunity to participate in the community that forms at off-leash areas. From Bothell to Olympia, each city had opened a dog park or is in the process. Most Kirkland citizens do not have time to drive to another city each day for off-leash exercise/play with their dog. We want to spend our money in Kirkland, not stopping for coffee, dry cleaning, groceries, pet supplies, pet grooming, etc. in other cities each time we must leave Kirkland to go to a park. We want the opportunity to be “Kirkland First.”

      A resident of Mission Viejo, CA seemed to explain the need for local dog parks best. Bo Klein writes the following, “Mission Viejo is about the last major city in Orange County without a dog park, some cities have more than one. Why? because they are successful and serve the residents needs. All too often, dog parks are misunderstood as to whom they serve. Its not the dogs, but the dog owners whom are tax paying residents.
      A dog park is a form of socialization for people as well as their animals and why should not these taxpayers have the same public facilities as sports parks and children playgrounds? Not everyone has children involved in sports using parks or children using playground equipment. Not everyone swims in public pools. They just happen to have dogs and need a public area to allow the animals to get their needed exercise while they get to know and socialize with their own neighbors. A soccer field or baseball field is not about the actual ball used..its for the participants and spectators. Same about dog parks..its not the dogs, its the dog owners who matter……Any one who has ever spent any time at a dog park will discover a very friendly and amicable bond between those who utilize such facilities. The common bond, is the animal.”

      While there will be numerous benefits to Kirkland dog owners and their dogs, there are also significant benefits to a community. The American Kennel Club states, “These areas prevent off-leash animals from infringing on the rights of other community park-goers such as joggers, small children, and those who may be fearful of dogs. Parks also make it easier to enforce its leash laws, as resident dog owners with park access have no reason to allow their canine companions off-leash when outside the park. Having residents with their dogs in off-leash areas also helps to deter crime at the park. “

      The community pride in keeping off-leash areas well maintained is always obvious when I visit any off-leash area. We at KDOG look forward to having this same opportunity. I recommend that the City Council moves forward with the proposal KDOG presents.

  • Scott Brady

    Are there any numbers available from the RUFF people in Renton about how long $50,000-$60,000 will last when maintaining an off leash dog park? Is that enough money to operate a dog park for a year, or two, or longer?

  • Scott Brady

    Are there any numbers available from the RUFF people in Renton about how long $50,000-$60,000 will last when maintaining an off leash dog park? Is that enough money to operate a dog park for a year, or two, or longer?

  • http://www.kdog.org/ KDOG

    Setup costs and long term maintenance expense: Off leash parks are very low captial cost to set up – RUFF and University Park (near Tacoma) have both funded constructing their sites for around $10,000-$15,000 an acre. SInce we are a 501c3 we can work hard to get donations of labor and parts, which is what they have done. And off leash parks are low cost to maintain long term. Compare this to the $175,000 capital outlay for reconstructing the Everest bleechers budgeted for this year or the $330,000 estimated price tag of the proposed second skate park at Juanita and off leash areas to serve Kirkland’s dog owners and keep revenue in the city instead of sending dog owners to shop in Redmond seems like a huge bargain, especially since KDOG is offering to fund the construction and upkeep.

    Operating costs: I have heard numbers from other cities I spoke to (Bellingham, University Park, Bellevue, Renton, Tacoma, Mountlake Terrace, Shoreline, Snohomish County, Portland) of operating costs between $3,000 and $5,000 to maintain off leash areas – the primary expenditure is waste collection and dog bags. Wood chips and other material are usually donated and work is done by the volunteers. We would follow the Mountlake Terrace model at the locations we are suggesting and use a single dumpster location that could be incorporated in the existing City Waste Management contract at minimal additional cost. NO city employees would handle poop in this scenario.
    We are proposing a 2 year trial period for all locations and the money we raise would cover that period with a new agreement negotiated after that time.

  • http://www.kdog.org KDOG

    Setup costs and long term maintenance expense: Off leash parks are very low captial cost to set up – RUFF and University Park (near Tacoma) have both funded constructing their sites for around $10,000-$15,000 an acre. SInce we are a 501c3 we can work hard to get donations of labor and parts, which is what they have done. And off leash parks are low cost to maintain long term. Compare this to the $175,000 capital outlay for reconstructing the Everest bleechers budgeted for this year or the $330,000 estimated price tag of the proposed second skate park at Juanita and off leash areas to serve Kirkland’s dog owners and keep revenue in the city instead of sending dog owners to shop in Redmond seems like a huge bargain, especially since KDOG is offering to fund the construction and upkeep.

    Operating costs: I have heard numbers from other cities I spoke to (Bellingham, University Park, Bellevue, Renton, Tacoma, Mountlake Terrace, Shoreline, Snohomish County, Portland) of operating costs between $3,000 and $5,000 to maintain off leash areas – the primary expenditure is waste collection and dog bags. Wood chips and other material are usually donated and work is done by the volunteers. We would follow the Mountlake Terrace model at the locations we are suggesting and use a single dumpster location that could be incorporated in the existing City Waste Management contract at minimal additional cost. NO city employees would handle poop in this scenario.
    We are proposing a 2 year trial period for all locations and the money we raise would cover that period with a new agreement negotiated after that time.