Elizabeth Burnett throws a toy for her dog Cocoa at the Osoyoos Off-Leash Dog Park. When Burnett heard there was a proposal to turn the park into a baseball diamond, she began circulating a petition calling for the popular dog park to remain where it is. Town staff, however, are recommending it become a ball diamond and that the dog park be relocated. (Keith Lacey file photo)

Emotions are expected to run high at Monday’s regular meeting of Town of Osoyoos council as a staff report has recommended that the popular Osoyoos Off-Leash Dog Park be reconfigured to a minor baseball facility.

However, the same report recommends building a new off-leash park only metres from the current one at the old BMX track area west of the current park, while building a new off-leash park on the east side of town at Kinsmen Park.

The staff report was prepared by Gerald Davis, Director of Community Services.

In July, leaders of the Osoyoos Minor Baseball Association asked council to return the current dog park to its original intended use as a minor baseball facility.

A petition signed by close to 400 local residents several weeks later opposed that recommendation asking council to keep the dog park where it is, stating it has been heavily used by dog owners since it opened more than five years ago.

In his report, Davis said staff’s preferred option is, “for council to reconfigure the existing dog park back into a shale infield baseball diamond as a single purpose ball facility, install fencing at Kinsmen (Park) to have a second off-leash dog park, reconfigure the old BMX area outside the West Bench ball diamonds into a new dog park and have dog owners use the area around the ball diamonds as a dog park until the BMX is repurposed into an off-leash area.”

Other options for council to consider include:

  • Having council move forward with developing a minor baseball facility on the infield at Desert Park; Council changing the current dog park in a baseball facility and developing Kinsmen Park into a dog park.
  • Repurposing the current dog park into a baseball facility and have dog owners use the green space during the baseball season and when baseball season is over, re-utilizing the field as a dog park, creating a shared facility for both groups.
  • Fencing the outer green space at the West Bench ball diamond area and develop a dog park on its own.
  • Retaining the West Bench dog park, install fencing at Kinsmen Park to create a second off-leash dog park and build a ball diamond at the Desert Park infield.
  • To maintain the status quo and have council do nothing at this time.

 

Moving the dog park to Kinsmen Park and converting the existing dog park back to a ball diamond would include removing a gazebo, repairing the infield and installing shale, covering the existing dugouts or creating new ones and adding and replacing fencing. The cost of 200 cubic yards of shale would be in the range of $17,000, said Davis in his report.

The shared use of the current dog park and minor baseball has been discussed and would see the area used for baseball in June, July and August, while the outside area of the park could still be used by dog owners as an off-leash park, he said.

“The area could be fenced and a new gazebo could be installed. In this area, we have the old BMX track that is no longer in use and is overgrown. This area can be levelled and also included as part of the dog park.”

If Kinsmen Park and the BMX area were developed, it would give two off-leash areas on either side of town, said Davis.

“It would be a more feasible option,” he said. “It may take a year to incorporate the BMX track and make the outside area at West Bench into an off-leash park. During this time the field can be shared with both groups until the outside area is converted into a dog park. At the same time, we can make improvements to Kinsmen Park and have it ready to go in the spring of 2018. More detailed information will have to be collected to get a better idea of how this area can be converted.”

In recommending staff’s preferred option, Davis wrote several factors were taken into consideration, including the community’s long term vision is to make the community more family friendly in an effort to attract and maintain and retain young families.

The community has proven its support for dog users through its supply of public dog beaches and will continue to provide an off-leash facility that meets the needs of dog owners, says the report.

The West Bench facility where the dog park is now located was originally built as a ball diamond and it would be less costly to complete the retrofit to shale diamonds, said Davis.

“The West Bench infrastructure is overbuilt for a dog park and naturally fits the function of a ball diamond,” he wrote. “The existence of two ball diamonds side by side facilitates this site as a tournament site which again assists the community’s economic development.”

The dual use of a dog park and ball diamond has the potential to be an enforcement issue as dog users will continue to gravitate to the field in the off-use period, said Davis.

“The ball field use would cause the facility to lose some of its current and future dog user amenities, so if there is going to be a shared use, it should be considered for a short period of time as an interim step,” he said.

The area around the ball diamond on the West Bench is currently used by many dog owners and can continue to be used in the future, he said.

“No additional fencing is contemplated due to operational issues relating to grass cutting. Dog owners that have well trained dogs can continue to walk and socialize their dogs in the area surrounding the West Bench, therefore, residents in that area will continue to have a dog park facility.”

The BMX area next to the West Bench facility is currently a wasteland area of weeds and puncturevine. A future project to turn that area into a fenced off-leash area will assist the community by eliminating the weed area, providing a nice-sized dog park area on the West Bench and provide a possible opportunity to move the fence of the existing ball diamond to make it more useable for older kids and local slo-pitch players, said Davis.

Kinsmen Park is now being used as a dog park area as staff have witnessed many off-leash users and the area is equal to, if not larger than the West Bench dog park, he said.

“The playground and activity area can easily be fenced off from the dog use area,” he said. “This area can also facilitate the development of a small dog and large dog off-leash area, a service that has been requested by dog users.

“Families have the opportunity to simultaneously bring their kids to the play area and their dog to the off-leash area. The soccer field is not being used for a soccer program and we have more soccer fields spread throughout the community. Dog users will benefit from the use of park washroom services. There is more potential in this area for immediate development of dog park facilities, with less user competition.”

Building a ball diamond on the Desert Park infield “creates limitations on the future use of the infield,” he said.

Council is expected to look at all options before coming to a final decision at Monday’s meeting.

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