The City of Delta is hosting in-person feedback opportunities for residents to give their two cents about proposed upgrades to the off-leash dog areas at Tsawwassen’s Pebble Hill Park and Ladner’s Paterson Park.
Both proposals include adding enclosures within existing off-leash areas.
“What we’ve heard from the community, at large, is that they would really like to see some of these existing off-leash areas actually have enclosures for the dogs. Both from a safety perspective, so that their dogs are contained, and if our parks are used by multiple people ... to manage any conflicts between users that might occur,” says Delta’s Director of Parks, Recreation and Culture Carmen Gonzalez. “[That way], you don’t have somebody trying to kick a soccer ball around at the same time that the dogs are trying to run around and play.”
Pebble Hill’s proposal follows public consultation gathered last March for an off-leash enclosure and associated changes to the space. Now, they are conducting their second stage of consultation for folks to review and give their input on the revised plan.
According to Delta, the city is proposing to upgrade the existing off-leash dog area at Pebble Hill Park with new fencing, seating, renovated paths and buffer plantings.
The proposal includes splitting the area into two separate enclosed off-leash areas with 1.2 m high fences, with one of those being specifically for small dogs, and putting plantings along the north and south end of the park.
Feedback for Pebble Hill is being collected online through http://letstalk.delta.ca/PebbleHillPark from March 3 to April 4, and city staff will be at the park on March 19 from 9:30 a.m. to noon and March 29 from 4 to 6 p.m. p.m. to collect resident feedback.
The proposed upgrade to Paterson Park is to enclose a section at the south-east corner of the existing off-leash area with a 1.2 m high fence.
According to the city, the current boundaries of the off-leash dog area in Paterson Park will remain. This consultation is simply focused on the addition of an enclosed area to support dog owners who may wish to utilize this feature.
This is the first community consultation to be done on the project.
Feedback for Paterson Park is being collected online through https://letstalk.delta.ca/PatersonPark from March 4 through April 4, and city staff will be at the park on March 26 from 9:30 a.m. to noon and March 30 from 4 to 6 p.m.
Both projects, following the gathering of public input, will go back to staff to review and potentially adjust before going to council for approval.
“Community consultation is an important part of this process for us to understand the needs of the community, the wants of the community, and so, we’re looking forward to that feedback,” says Gonzalez.
