Today the Downtown Bellevue Park is filled with daily walkers, joggers, on-leash dog walkers, sports practice gamers, as well as a significant number small dogs (24). Currently however, the city is NOT providing a safe and nurturing environment for the ever increasing small dog population at Downtown Bellevue Park. Downtown Bellevue is growing very rapidly and will soon incorporate approximately 3000 new condominiums. Each condominum building houses approximately 25-35 small dogs who need a small,open OFF LEASH SPACE to romp and frisk with other small dogs. A small, designated park area for off-leash dogs (approximately 4,000 sq. ft) constituting approximately 2% of the entire Downtown Bellevue Park will provide a sense of community and connection with other Bellevue residents -- to enjoy each other and the critters.
We keep our puppies under very watchful eyes for three hours a day... from 12:30pm-2pm and 5:30pm-7pm. However, we have received a small number of complaints from other dog owners whose dogs are not friendly, nor social, and want to be kept out of harm's way. At present there are no such barriers/fences/paths which accommodate the residents' needs to be protected.
Therefore, we, the small dog group at Downtown Bellevue Park would like to open a productive dialogue with the Bellevue City Council to discuss the needs of small dogs living in downtown Bellevue. We have discussed this topic at length and can see three general alternatives:
(1) Dedicate an area within Downtown Bellevue downtown park as an OFF-LEASH area for small and sociable dogs and erect a corral fence around the area to separate a safe area for small dogs to romp freely away from less friendly larger dogs.
(2) Via city park Ordinance, ordain that the above playtime hours be OFF LEASH hours for those small and sociable dogs who play together under watchful eyes of owners in a pre- designated area of the park.
(3) Dedicate a nearby location, such as Wildwood Park, as an OFF LEASH area enclosed with a corral fence for the small dogs to gather and run.
As Bellevue becomes an urban area, the need for an urban retreat for our dogs will increase dramatically, now would be the perfect time to address this issue.
Regarding Robinswood Park:
There are a number of shortcomings as an OFF LEASH area where our small and social urban dogs are concerned:
(1) Many property owners walk from their units to the Downtown Park, twice a day rain or shine, summer or winter. This is good for the dogs, their owners and the community. A 20-minute commute to Robinswood adds traffic and is wasteful, difficult, and expensive!
2) The elderly dog owners would have a very challenging task of driving to and from this location.
3) Currently the Robbinswood Park area for dogs is fenced in, and is occupied by very large dogs such as Huskies, Pit Bulls, Boxers, and Golden Retreivers. Small dogs simply cannot enjoy the facilities.
4) The dedicated area of Robinswood Park is covered in bark and dark muddy soil. The dogs typically come away from this park completely drenched and caked in dirt. We personally cannot afford the grooming fees resulting from this field exposure.