Dogs, Trails & Other Things

Here in “Topics” tab, I’ll be sharing what topics I hear from constituents as I’m out canvassing and/or from calls and messages that I’m receiving from all of you.

Two of the subjects that have come up are Off-leash Dog Parks and Trail Access.

Dog Parks. The need for more dog parks where owners can let their dogs run off-leash is a subject that would seem to have reasonably easy and not expensive solutions. While Cottonwood Heights is going to great expense to include a dog park within the soon to be constructed “Ferguson Canyon Trailhead Overflow Parking Complex” here in District 4, an idea I’ve not been able to get feedback on from city council is the idea of simply cordoning off portions of underutilized sodded space within existing parks. Visiting the wonderful assortment of grass-sodded spaces within our existing parks and public green spaces, it seems like evaluating them for underutilized patches large enough to be sufficient for dogs to run off-leash is a reasonable next step.

This idea of more numerous but modest dog areas also aligns with my desire to see more numerous, smaller green spaces that residents can access in no more than a ten minute walk from their residence.

Trails. Access to public trails that line the east side of our District 4 comes up from constituents. Most constituents are disturbed by the growing number of signs indicating “Private” and “No trespassing”. Other constituents are concerned about too many people accessing the trails near their homes. This is a subject that needs better clarity. The council can be more transparent and forthcoming to explain existing laws and ordinances that govern public access to long-standing trailheads. We need to have public forums where we interactively hear and discuss residents’ ideas and concerns, where we look at trends, growth and the potential best remedies that all stakeholders can understand and accept. There isn’t always a silver bullet, but lack of attention to topics that are on the minds of constituents is no way to run local government.

Let’s have meaningful dialogue and utilize the wonderful professionals on the Cottonwood Heights city staff, to help us investigate how city policies, ordinances, county and state regulations affect the issues and way of life we care about. Let’s see how citizens can be empowered to solve the dilemmas that concern them.