As a result of growing demand, the City of Richmond is proposing to add three new offleash dog areas on city-owned land.
However, the combined area of the sites is only about half an acre, or about one-third of a soccer field, and the city, relative to its size and population, remains behind many other Metro Vancouver municipalities in offering free rein for pooches.
"With increased growth in Richmond's population, and approximately 5,200 licensed dogs, there has been an increased demand for dog off leash areas where residents can exercise their pets off leash responsibly," stated a report from parks manager Mike Redpath to the parks committee on Tuesday.
South Arm Park will see the largest newly fenced area. The enclosure, behind South Arm pool, will be the size of about one quarter of a soccer field (1,400 squaremetres).
Meanwhile, the City Centre area will see two new enclosures: Garden City Park will have a fenced off area the size of a large backyard (335 square metres) on Granville Avenue, while a similar sized enclosure will be placed at the corner of Alderbridge and Elmbridge ways.
The areas will be active this summer and will operate as one-year pilot programs, costing $5,000. Redpath said the city would take public input, throughout the year, as to how the areas function.
He noted size is determined by availability of space and the need to diversify off-leash areas.
According to an off-leash study by the City of Surrey, most North American best practices of off-leash areas should be at least two acres, the equivalent of about 8,000 square meters. The study notes off-leash areas of 1.25 acres may be considered depending on the available amenities (such as a beach).
Surrey, along with Burnaby and Vancouver all have more off-leash acreage per square kilometer than Richmond.
Surrey, which has both an area and population about twice as large as Richmond, has nine off-leash areas totalling 98 acres. Surrey also has 12 other locations currently under consideration.
Vancouver, an area about the same size as Richmond with about three times its population, has 36 designated off-leash areas, six of which are fenced, totalling 169 acres. The city has 22,900 licensed dogs.
Burnaby, a city with a similar population but two-thirds the size of Richmond, has an estimated 21 acres, according to city statistics.
Meanwhile, Richmond, which boasts 1,680 acres of park land, has seven existing designated off-leash areas, totaling just over an estimated 20 acres (trails were measured with a width of five metres): Hamilton (about 0.5 acres), Horseshoe Slough Trail (about 0.75 acres), Steveston Park (about one acre), Cambie Field (about 2.5 acres), the South Dyke (about 2.5 acres), Shell Road Trail (about five acres) and McDonald Beach (parts of 26 acres, estimated to be about eight acres). An eighth site will open at Capstan Village Park in 2015.
The city's goal is to have an off-leash area within walking distance - defined as 800 metres - of every home.
To leash or not to leash is a contentious issue in Richmond these days. Earlier this month the parks department announced it would be stepping up enforcement of dogs running at large in city parks. That announcement followed 33 complaints by one resident in just four months. Conversely, some dog owners claim the city needs more and better off-leash areas.
Perhaps nowhere else is this division more visible than at Dover Park, where Redpath has recommended the closure of the park's small, off-leash fenced area as a result of complaints from owners of adjacent strata buildings. A total of 167 residents complained about noise, unsightliness of the chain link fence and parking issues. Conversely just 39 residents from the strata supported the canine-friendly area, according to submitted, signed petitions. The city also received independent input on the area, with letters showing a 32-26 favourable edge.
In the same report Redpath is now recommending moving Dover's off-leash area to a roughly 1,200 square metre area at McCallum Park, along the Railway greenway.
Redpath noted off leash areas provide opportunities for outdoor gathering among neighbours and encourage responsible dog ownership. Also, such areas allow for more "targeted" enforcement of dogs running at large in non off-leash areas.
"Since the inception of the Dog Off Leash program (in 1999) in Richmond, the popularity of the designated off leash areas has grown," Redpath noted.
