Guelph’s first and only fenced-in, leash-free dog park in the city’s east end will remain open after all.
Plans for a second park will also move ahead after a city council vote earlier this month to scrap them was deemed out of order.
City councillors voted in favour of closing the area at Peter Misersky Park during a meeting on Feb. 4 and decided to cancel plans to open two other fenced-in areas on Lee Street and Bristol Street.
But before that decision could be finalized during a meeting on Monday, Mayor Cam Guthrie said any motion to close the fenced-in areas at the Peter Misersky or Bristol Street parks would be ruled out of order because proper council procedure wasn’t followed.
He said closing the parks would be in direct conflict with the unanimous decision made in June 2019 to open the parks.
“If any member of council wants council to discuss the closure or removal of either Bristol and Misersky fenced dog parks, we have a procedural bylaw that governs how matters such as this can be reconsidered,” Guthrie stated in a post online.
The planned park for Lee Street will not go ahead and city staff will still be looking for more suitable locations during the 2021 budget discussions.
The city has said it’s also trying to address the issues raised by residents near Peter Misersky Park who have complained about noise, littered dog waste and increased traffic.
Among the strategies include plans to lock the gates at night and move the fence farther away from homes.
Comments