Both of Guelph’s fenced-in dog parks will stay open following a city council vote to reject a call to close them while the city looks for another location in a non-residential area.
Monday’s decision to reject Ward 3 Coun. June Hofland’s motion came less than two weeks after the fenced-in areas opened at Peter Misersky Park and Bristol Street Park.
Hofland argued that the city has to reconsider the small fenced-in area due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her failed motion called for the parks to close until staff could find a larger fenced-in area that was not in a residential area.
Dog parks were allowed to resume operation as part of Phase 2 of the province’s reopening plan and the city they reopened theirs based on advice from Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health.
While the fenced-in area on Bristol Street is brand new, the one at Peter Misersky Park opened in September 2019 but reopened after it was closed following complaints from nearby residents.
The city has said it has made a number of adjustments to address the concerns, including adding security cameras.
There are also plans to move the fence line farther away from homes, but the city said that won’t happen if residents are satisfied with the measures that have already been put in place.
City staff are still expected to report back to council on additional sites during the 2021 budget process later this year.