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MEMORANDUM To:City of Saint Anthony Village Parks & Environmental Commission From:Jeremy Gumke, Public Works Director and Charlie Yunker, City Manager Date:September 12, 2022 Parks & Environmental Commission Meeting Request:Discussion on Dog Park Feasibility BACKGROUND At its annual Goal Setting session, the City Council identified an Action Step for staff in 2022, to explore the feasibility of adding a dog park in St. Anthony. Staff researched the best practices is dog park design in order to identify possible location(s) for a dog park somewhere in the City. Attached to this memo is a report from the City of Ann Arbor, MI on ‘Recommendations and Guidelines for Dog Park Site Selection, Design, Operations and Maintenance’, which summarized optimal dog park design guidelines. Staff is presenting the initial information gathered for the Commission’s input and any ideas on alternatives the staff have not considered. The input will be conveyed to the City Council for their consideration. This commission in 2014 reviewed the topic of a dog park, and the focus was the ice rink in Central Park for a dual-use. After hearing from an official from the Minneapolis Park Board at the time, it was determined that: “The commission consensus after her presentation was that this project would be a real challenge for the following reasons: •Area chosen not large enough for Dog Park. •The need for a different type of surface other than grass (wood chips are the best surface). •Fencing around the rink would need to be upgraded. •Potential noise problems for nearby residents. •It is necessary regardless of the size and layout, separation between large and small dog is absolutely necessary (reduces dog fights).” FINDINGS The attached report (and other sources reviewed by staff that were not included) summarized best practices for placement on Page 6-7. Staff focused on this section for evaluating potential sites for a dog park before considering other aspects such as design or management. Key components are listed below: Size: The recommended minimum size for dog parks varies considerably among cities, but is generally between ½ acre and one acre.