Community Corner

LM Considering Making Parks More Dog Friendly

Improvements to the off-leash program at Rolling Hill Park and West Mill Creek Park are being discussed.

With the ground wet and soggy, not many residents are heading out doors with their canine friends this time of year, but the Lower Merion Parks and Recreation Department is preparing for when they do.

The township's off-leash dog program at Rolling Hill Park and West Mill Creek Park, offered as a pilot program the last two years, could be added as a permanent feature of the Lower Merion parks system this year.

The program began in 2009 and allows residents of Lower Merion and Narberth to pay a permit fee to register their dogs for off-leash play in the two parks. The cost is $25 per dog for Lower Merion residents and $30 for Narberth residents. Sign up information can be found on the township's website.

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Parks and Recreation Director Lindsay Taylor gave a list of recommendations to the Board of Commissioners at the Wednesday, Feb. 2, meeting, many of which are aimed at making the program more user friendly.

"The information we have received suggests that there has been no evidence of lack of compliance, no negative impact to the parks and no significant conflicts with non-dog owners," Taylor said.

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The program did struggle to draw repeat users in 2010, however, with 112 of the 198 original permit holders choosing not to renew. Taylor said that the parks department conducted interviews with current and past permit holders on ways to improve the program and concluded that additional hours and a simplified registration process are needed.

Among others, Taylor's recommendations included:

  • eliminating the pilot status of the program
  • eliminate the requirement for dogs to have a Bordetella vaccine, deemed unnecessary by local veterinarians
  • add late afternoon hours (3:30 - 6:30 p.m.) for off-leash use of Rolling Hill Park trails
  • expand West Mill Creek Park's off-leash hours to sunrise to sunset, seven days a week
  • install a gate system at West Mill Creek Park
  • simplify registration and renewal paperwork

Taylor said she hoped the changes would encourage dog owners in the area to take advantage of the program in the future.

The revenue from permit fees covers the cost of processing the requests and caring for the off-leash areas of the parks. In 2010, $4,875 dollars was raised from permit fees and the total cost of the program was $2,040.

The commissioners were receptive to Taylor's comments at the committee meeting, and a final vote will take place at a future business meeting of the board.


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