Group to set up new Dog Park, Old Parks Languish

John8:17 AM

To: (mayorbellamy@avlcouncil.com), (emanheimer@vwlawfirm.com), (cecil@braveulysses.com), (jandavis@avlcouncil.com), (marchunt@avlcouncil.com), (chrispelly@avlcouncil.com), (gordonsmith@avlcouncil.com)

To members of City Council:

I hope you will consider these points before establishing a Dog Park on Beaverdam Road:

1. Beaverdam Creek is a state designated high quality stream by NC Division of Environment and Natural Resources.  This stream flows into the Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society Bird Sanctuary and Beaver Lake.  A detailed environmental assessment should be conducted, as recommended by Dr. Ed Hauser in his PRELIMINARY ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT for PROPOSED NORTH ASHEVILLE DOG PARK, which can be found here: http://rasheville.blogspot.com/2013/08/preliminary-environmental-assessment.html
2. At the May 14 City Council meeting, Mr. Pelly said construction and future maintenance costs would be borne by a private group, not the City.  At the June 10 Friends of the North Asheville Dog Park meeting, Debra Ivester said the City "might pitch in" to pay for routine maintenance items including mowing, trash pickup, doggie bags, etc.  Mr. Pelly then added the City could do more when and if the City has more funds. What expenses will the City bear?  What will be required of the Friends or successor group?
3. At the July 18 public meeting, I believe Shannon Tuch suggested the City would pay for sidewalk/path construction and maintenance. I understand there is a Conditional Use Permit on the subject property that requires Ark Development to build and maintain the sidewalks/paths.  Who will pay to build and maintain sidewalks/paths if the Dog Park is built?  If the Dog Park is not built?  Will sidewalks/paths be built whether or not the Dog Park is built?
4. The Trust for Public Land has an article, Creating Dog Parks - Without Rancor http://cloud.tpl.org/pubs/ccpe_Dog_Park_Report.pdf  Please consider especially paragraph 8 on site selection. I believe this site fails 5 of the 7 listed criteriahttp://rasheville.blogspot.com/2013/08/friends-for-north-asheville-dog-park-is.html
5. The Asheville Preservation Society anticipates the Killian house will be restored and lived in as a private home.  How is the land to be divided to ensure this historic house will be attractive now and in the future?  A small lot, hard against Beaverdam Road, surrounded by paved public paths and a Dog Park, might not be the best for long-term marketability and preservation.
6. What assurance is there that this new Dog Park will be adequately maintained?  The two existing Dog Parks are notorious for poor maintenance.  See John Boyle's "Answer Man" column in the Citizen-Times June 9 issue http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20130610/COLUMNISTS09/306100018/Answer-Man-dives-into-stagnant-water-dog-park  Also see summary of Dog Park users comments http://rasheville.blogspot.com/2013/08/asheville-nasty-disgusting-strong-smell.html  I am told private funds will ensure good maintenance - for this park only.  Can this be relied upon?  And is it proper for some  group to partially subsidize one brand-new City park, while existing parks are left to languish?

John