Looking south from the seashore at Europe Bay, a part of Newport State Park, towards the lookout deck at Ferdinand Hotz Town Park. Beyond the city park is seashore that can be a part of Newport State Park. Photo by Myles Dannhausen Jr.
After a criticism was registered about dogs “running wild at Hotz Park and Sand Bay,” Liberty Grove Supervisor and Parks Committee Chair Cathy Ward visited a number of city parks to get a have a look at the difficulty. She discovered that the city had created trigger for confusion about park guidelines.
In her visits, Ward discovered that three parks – Sand Bay, Ferdinand Hotz and the Ellison Bay Community Park – had signage that mentioned dogs are usually not allowed in parks. But the city ordinance governing dogs in parks states that dogs are allowed so long as they’re on leash, and never in seashore areas.
The committee authorised a movement to update signage at these parks to be according to the city ordinance and to encourage folks to wash up after their dogs.
The rule was initially created, Ward mentioned, as a result of the city was making an attempt to maintain dogs out of areas the place lots of people collect and round picnic services. There are 11 picnic tables at Sand Bay and 5 at Hotz.
Following the principles at Hotz Park may be complicated, since dogs are allowed on a leash on the seashore that’s a part of Newport State Park to the north of Europe Bay Road. Those dogs are technically not allowed on the seashore at Hotz Park straight south of Europe Bay Road.
“As long as dogs are on a leash I don’t think it’s a problem to have them in parks,” mentioned committee member Donna Scattergood. “I’d hate to do a categorical ‘get rid of dogs’ move just because of the inappropriateness of one or two families. Dogs are such a big part of peoples’ families.”
Mariners Park Plan Coming Soon?
Ward mentioned the city ought to quickly have a draft plan for Mariners Park to evaluate. Ayres Associates has been working with the city to develop a plan for the waterfront property acquired by the city in 2018. The city has made minimal enhancements because it bought the parcels for $1.45 million because it waited for the previous proprietor to maneuver off the property and evaluated the potential to avoid wasting or promote a number of buildings on the parcels.
