A battle in Evergreen over what Fido leaves behind looks like it will end in with a resolution that will have everyone’s tail wagging.
A group of canine-crazy residents says an agreement is forthcoming from Jefferson County Open Space to keep open part of the Elk Meadow dog park that had been as poop piled up and the landscape took a licking.
Evergreen pup proponent Betsy Rich said the county has agreed to allow a pair of fenced-in areas — adding up to about 7 acres — to remain open for off-leash dog use while the majority of the 107-acre property undergoes rehabilitation from years of overuse. The closure will begin April 4
“They heard the public outcry against their apparent decision to close our dog park,” Rich wrote this week in an e-mail to her fellow dog denizens. “They read our e-mails and our social media posts. And it worked.”
She said the compromise led her and her pack to cancel a large protest that was scheduled for Thursday afternoon in Evergreen. The after a winter storm slowed travel on the west side of the metro area to a crawl.“Yes, they are closing most of the park but a week ago we were looking at a full, permanent closure and that is now not going to happen thanks to all of you,” Rich wrote in the e-mail.
Jefferson County Open Space spokesman Matt Robbins acknowledged that the county has been working this week with the citizens group toward keeping open a portion of the park for off-leash use but said “we have no agreement as of yet.”
He said a community meeting on the issue is scheduled to be held at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Buchanan Recreation Center.
The county had until this week insisted on a full closure of the park, which attracts 4,000 visitors a week, citing and spiking bacteria levels in a stream that runs through the site.
Rich said the agreement with the county calls for a non-profit group known as Friends of Evergreen Dog Park to oversee the off-leash areas. The group will put in place “a number of dog park best practices, including membership, education and adherence to rules.” Meanwhile, Jefferson County will strictly enforce parking near the park.
