Community Post

Dog Park Options

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Seralata started a great discussion a few weeks ago about our need for a centrally located dog park in the neighborhood. So how about if we put our heads together and pick a few good options for where one can go?

My first assumption is that we won’t be able to acquire a completely new property for a park. So that leaves us with trying to convert some existing, underused public property that could be converted to an off-leash area. Here’s some options I’ve come up with:

1. There’s a decent size chunk of grass between the community center and Medgar Evers Pool that doesn’t get much use or attention.  (this is on 23rd, just 100 feet or so south of the intersection with Cherry).  Perhaps we could add a fence and have an easy, affordable conversion option?

Pluses: Great central location for the neighborhood

Minuses: Might be a bit small – not enough room for running and long throws. 

 

2. Powell Barnett park on MLK got a big remodel two years ago with a shiny new play area and updated basketball courts. But the north end of the park (corner of MLK & Jefferson) has a a big grassy area that’s usually empty.

Pluses: Would be a reasonably big park with a lot of room for dogs of all size

Minuses: Houses border the park on two sides, might put up a fight about barking

 

3. There’s a park in Belltown that was once overrun with drug activity. That all changed when it was converted to a dog park. The constant presence of neighbors and their pets made it an inhospitable spot for the drug dealers and pushers. So with Flo Ware park being the informal headquarters of a gang, how about turning it over to the dogs?

Pluses: Might help clean up some of the illegal activity on that corner

Minuses: Would be a small park 

 

4. There’s a severely underused park on the corner of the county’s juvenile hall facility at 14th & Remington Court. Lots of space to work with, and a nice work of art to look at while you throw the frisbee.

Pluses: Big space, rarely used right now

Minuses: It’s on the far western edge of the neighborhood 

 

So speak up in the comments if you’ve got strong feelings about any of the options. Or suggest other ones if I’ve left something out.

If we can narrow things down to a top one or two, we’ll do some investigation to see how we might be able to make them a reality.

0 thoughts on “Dog Park Options”

  1. (could you update with cross-streets for all options, for those of us who aren’t as familiar?)

    hmmm…option one (medgar evars) would be nice, because it would be right next to my house! but too small, i think.

    don’t know anything about Powell Barnett, but as long as it’s far enough away from the kids’ area, it sounds like it could be great.

    Flo Ware – also don’t know anything about it, but bigger would be better, to really let the dogs run

    14th and Remington – many people already use that area as an informal dog play area. it’s a nice little spot, but i’d rather see something a little more centrally located. I used to live in that area and it’s only a 10-15 minute walk to Jose Rizal dog park.

    so i guess my top two options would be Medgar Evars and Powell Barnett.

  2. The area at 14th and Remington Court is not a park; it’s a work of public art. The whale fin and the surrounding sculpted earth are the work of local artist Marvin Oliver http://www.marvinoliver.com The piece, titled “Spirit of Our Youth” http://www.marvinoliver.com/Bronze/fins_totem_poles/index.html is owned by King County and maintained by 4Culture (the County arts agency). Doesn’t mean that people (and their dogs) can’t inhabit the space, but it’s unlikely that a work of public art would be officially converted to a dog park.

  3. as somebody mentioned, linking up with COLA on this would be wise. They don’t have as much pull as SODA around Marymoor, but they do know what’s what in terms of making it happen with the City.

    I think the idea, whereever it is, would be more palatable with the city if the community took some ownership of it.

  4. Here’s an idea: Turn the Dilletante Building into a doggie day care (with a coffee shop of course) and turn the 7000 sq ft lot on 23rd into a dog park/dog exercise area. The owner of the property is interested and just needs to connect with a possible tenant.

  5. Though it’s a bit far from 23rd and Cherry, there IS a dog park in the Central District. It Blue Dog Pond.

    It’s on MLK and Massachusetts as part of “The Lid” parks and work.

    Here’s a link: http://www.nwsource.com/ae/scr/edb_vd.cfm?c=&ven=15381&s=nws

    Yes, it is a bit muddy (but either the mud or the dust seem to be one of the main reason non-dog people don’t like dog parks… and certainly one of the reason’s I’d definitely be against any changes to Powell Burnett)…but it is a huge park. There is also plenty of parking.

    Says the paper, “You’ll recognize Blue Dog Pond by the big sculpture of a blue dog. Since the park is an overflow drainage area, it may be a bit muddy in the winter months, but offers pooches plenty of room to roam, as well as high slopes perfect for exercising. It’s located at the northwest corner of the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Way South and South Massachusetts.”