Salt Lake County seeks input on planning dog parks

Salt Lake County is going to the dogs: County leaders are beginning work on a countywide off-leash dog park plan, with public hearings scheduled for tonight and tomorrow.

The county wants input on planning, designing and building future playgrounds for pooches.

"Because of the growing interest in dog parks and the cry from the segment of society that has dogs and likes these dog parks, the county wants to have a solid foundation before we get into the business of operating dog parks," said Angelo Calacino, a county park planner.

Several cities in the county already operate dog parks, including Salt Lake City and Sandy. Taylorsville's Millrace Park, the valley's only west-side off-leash dog park, is so busy that the city assesses a fee for non-resident use.

But Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation does not currently operate any dog parks, despite the concept's rising popularity.

"The main problem with dog parks is there aren't enough of them," said Rita Lund, a dog park activist who serves as director of Millcreek FIDOS (Friends Interested in Dogs and Open Space). "We don't have enough space for people who choose to exercise with their dogs."

Approximately 60 percent of all county residents are dog owners, Lund said.

Lund said she likes to hike, and takes her dogs up the canyon for companionship as well as security. "I'm just asking for places to do it legally," she said.

The county already allocated $400,000 for a new dog park at 6000 West and New Bingham Highway in West Jordan. The city was supposed to plan, design and operate the park, but gave control of the process back to the county after months of disagreement in the planning process.

County leaders wanted West Jordan officials to make the park in better compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The county also wanted the park to include a pet spray-off station, benches and a small pavilion, among other items. The city didn't want to do all that and ceded control to the county.

Calacino said some of the problems with the West Jordan dog park could have been avoided if the county had a master plan for off-leash dog parks.

Before the county will start building any other new dog parks, planners want to identify criteria for site selection, design standards, policies and procedures, and regulations for their successful development and operation, Calacino said.

The county already hired a landscape-architecture and environmental-planning firm, Logan Simpson Design, to assist park planners.

Tonight's meeting is scheduled from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Salt Lake County Equestrian Park, located at 10800 S. 2200 West in South Jordan. Another public hearing is scheduled Thursday at the same time in the Salt Lake County Government Center's North atrium, located at 2001 S. State Street.

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