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Page 1 of 2 <br /> <br />NEW BUSINESS – 8A <br /> MEMORANDUM <br /> <br />DATE: July 11, 2016 <br /> <br />TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers <br /> Sue Iverson, Interim City Administrator <br /> <br />FROM: John Anderson, Acting Public Works Director <br /> Sara Grant, Parks and Recreation Coordinator <br /> <br />SUBJECT: Off Leash Dog Area at Perry Park <br /> <br /> <br />Requested Action <br />Accept proposal from Century Fence for $4,100 to modify fencing at Perry Park No. 4 ballfield <br />for use as a dog park. <br /> <br />Background <br />At the Joint Work Session held on April 18th, 2016, with the Parks, Trails & Recreation <br />Committee (PTRC) and Arden Hills City Council, the PTRC made the recommendation to add a <br />dog park to Perry Park. Minutes from that meeting are included in Attachment A. <br /> <br />Discussion <br />One of the work items that the PTRC presented to the City Council at the April 18, 2016 work <br />session was input on the possibility of the Committee working on researching an off leash dog <br />area in Perry Park. The PTRC discussed this idea and staff has obtained fencing quotes for <br />modifications to the Perry Park No. 4 ballfield. Staff had initially discussed creating the dog <br />park at Perry Park in the hockey rink much like the dog park at Hazelnut Park. The City Council <br />mentioned that there are drainage issues with the hockey rink and it may not be a suitable <br />location. The PTRC then investigated the possibility of converting Perry Park No. 4 ballfield <br />into a dog park. The existing fencing on this ballfield provides the bulk of the containment <br />needed to establish this area as a dog park. There are a number of openings in the fence that can <br />be closed off, such as the dugout entrances and the gaps at the outfield fence. Additionally, a <br />staging area is needed at the entrance with a double gate to allow owners to bring their dog to the <br />fenced staging area and remove their dog’s leash. The fencing improvements also include some <br />maintenance to the existing fence where the bottom edges have curled up and are no longer close <br />to the ground. The modifications to the fencing would allow for easy conversion back to a <br />ballfield if the demand returns for use of a little league field. Currently, there is no use of this <br />field programmed and it has not been used for two years due to a decline in the popularity of <br />little league baseball programs. This field is not adequate for softball games due to the geometry <br />of its construction. This field does have some drainage issues and is inundated with water from <br />time to time depending on the weather.