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Recommendations and Guidelines for Dog Park Site Selection, Design, Operations and Maintenance <br /> <br />Page 7 <br /> Parking: Recommendations include that parking should be readily accessible, close to the site, <br />sufficient/adequate size, and convenient. There were no standards for size; rather it is important to <br />consider parking when locating a dog park. <br /> Drainage: Important aspects included that the site be relatively flat and have permeable soils. <br /> Shade: All recommend some shade as desirable, but not heavily shaded to allow for grass growth <br />and for the ground to dry. <br /> Use Conflict Avoidance: Guidelines include avoiding play areas and other recreational amenities, <br />high use areas, natural areas and water sources, wildlife, trails, community gardens, and historic sites. <br /> Protect Wildlife and Natural Areas: Several cities discuss avoidance of conflicts with wildlife and <br />sensitive habitats. <br /> Geographic Distribution: A few cities have general guidelines, such as a one or two mile service <br />area, but most do not state explicitly how the parks should be distributed through their community. <br />Design <br /> Fence Height and Material: All cities contacted have galvanized or vinyl coated chain link fences, <br />with a minimum height of 4 feet. Double gated entries to allow for dog owners to unleash the dogs in <br />a corral prior to letting the dog run free are the norm. <br /> Surfacing: There is no consensus as to the best type of surface. Several cities have multiple surfacing <br />types including crusher fines or decomposed granite around the entrance area, concrete, grass, and <br />mulch. For the larger areas, grass is used most often. <br /> Separate Small and Large Dog Areas: Most cities provide small dog areas if space allows. <br /> Site Furniture and Other Amenities: Most provide benches. Some have community bulletin boards to <br />post announcements and some have shade structures. Very few have dog play amenities. <br /> Trash Cans and Bag Holders: All provide trash containers and some provide bag holders. A minority <br />of cities also provide bags. <br /> Signage: All cities contacted post rule signs. <br /> ADA Access: All cities contacted said that they comply with the ADA for access to the site. <br />Management <br /> Staffing: Cities that have rangers or other park staff monitor dog parks, as well as illegal off-leash <br />activity outside of dog parks, find this helpful for controlling dogs and building community support. <br /> Fines: Cities that issue warning tickets and/or fines find this effective at reducing the number of <br />repeat offenders of illegal off-leash dog activity. <br /> Entry Fees: Fees to use dog parks range from free to $35 or $40 per year. <br /> Entry Key Fob: Cities that restrict use of the dog parks to patrons who pay for the permit by installing <br />a key fob entry find that it encourages more people to follow rules, increases revenue, and provides <br />a more equitable system for all users.