Bark. Bark.
Like the ears of a dog perking up to “walk” or “treat,” two words in Holmes Beach are sure to elicit responses: “dog” and “park.”
Dog park enthusiasts have been sending letters and talking at public meetings well before Mayor Bob Johnson took office in November 2014. And Johnson is the first official in some time willing to play ball.
The mayor thanked several residents for their time in an email March 12 consulting on dog park issues and outlined a tentative schedule to “adapt to the increase in the intensity of use it has been experiencing.”
Johnson said more meetings are scheduled before any changes will be made, but he said the park needs updates.
“What we’re trying to do is get rehabbed to bring it up to snuff,” he said.
He added that the park suffered due to equipment failure, citing a broken sprinkler and worn paths at the entrance.
“It’s a work in progress,” Johnson said. “The actual nuances and specifics may or may not happen.”
The “specifics” relate to perhaps the most contentious dog park issues: removing a decorative fountain and expanding the small dog park.
The biggest confirmed change, Johnson said, will be the addition of two entrances to the large dog park, which should slow the wear on the main entrance.
Johnson’s plan outlined in the March 12 email directs citizen volunteers to draft rules for the park to be reviewed and agreed on by city staff.
It also calls for a reconfiguration “to create/encourage distributed usage of the facility.” The reconfiguration included plans to relocate the fountain to the butterfly garden on the south side of Holmes Beach City Hall, as well as entrances and larger trees and city benches.
Funding for amenities in the park, including the fountain, was donated to the city.
Further meetings are planned in April.