JACKSON, Wyo. — For several years now, the location of an off-leash dog park in Jackson has been a topic of public debate muddled by ongoing controversy.
Will a dog park increase sound in residential areas? Will it smell? Is it safe? What about the heritage of the land?
In 2015, Jackson Hole News&Guide reported on the off-leash dog park proposed at Powderhorn Park. Neighbors started a petition against the dog park sharing concerns about a portion of the green space being dedicated to the fenced-in dog park. The proposal was shot down but the following year, the seasonal Teton County Fairgrounds dog park was approved.
Now, years later, the issue has been raised again, and according to Parks & Rec’s strategic plan, community members desired another place for their furry friends to play.
On June 28, Parks & Rec released information about the upcoming projects in the pipeline and identified off-leash dog parks as a high-priority item. Currently, there is only one temporary dog park in Jackson, located at the Teton County Fairgrounds. The park was open this past winter from Nov. 6, 2020 through April 28, 2021.
As evidenced by the strategic plan, the community at large supports dog parks in the Parks & Rec system.
“Parks & Rec went through a very comprehensive survey process and community outreach and engagement process when they were formulating their strategic plan back in 2018. The community had a wide range of options to really direct Parks & Rec on what they needed. This is a community-driven top priority as per the strategic plan and that whole process they went through back in 2018,” said Amy Moore, executive director at PAWS of Jackson Hole.
PAWS of Jackson Hole is headed in the direction of a partnership with Parks & Rec that would help manage some of the proposed off-leash dog parks. With Parks & Rec they plan to discuss funding needs, management plans, ambassadors, and volunteers to manage these areas.
“Really the community has weighed in and said to Parks & Rec that dog parks are a top priority. So Parks & Rec is really executing on the community’s wants and needs. These dog parks are going to be an amazing amenity for so many people that need off-leash, safe space, for their dog families,” said Moore.
Beginning yesterday and into today, Parks & Rec’s Open House displayed its proposed park layouts, a sound impact study for dog parks in Jackson and a survey for continued public input.
In the sound study displayed at the open house, it was determined that noise from a potential dog park wouldn’t add significant noise to the surrounding neighborhood.
“We went to great lengths to capture all kinds of readings all throughout the park system. What we found was that you see an average of three dogs, three cars, three people and conversation level noise. I understand that there is fear, but the fear and reality are not matching up in this case,” said Moore.
Moore also noted that space for a dog park in town is limited.
“We only have so few resources in town 97% of our land is open space, so when you’re talking about amenities for the Parks & Rec system, there are very few places that Parks & Recs has at its disposal.”
Meanwhile, there are several elements of the proposal that have generated opposition toward the development of the dog park. While noise is one concern, honoring the agricultural heritage of the land is another.
On July 28, 2021 Jennifer Ford of Promised Parks sent out a press release to the community that stated the reasoning behind their disapproval of a dog park in Wayne May Park.
Promised Parks states that their mission as a group of residents is to stay “committed to sharing the visions for both Wayne C. May Park and Karns Meadow and the promises the Town of Jackson made to the May family and the Karns family in exchange for these generous gifts.”
“Members of the May family have repeatedly shared that a dog park was not the intended use for the land they gifted to the Town of Jackson back in the 1990s. A dog park was proposed for May Park in 2011, 2014, and 2018. Rudy Sanford, Wayne C. May’s step-son, made it clear that the park was for the neighbors and was intended to preserve open space and honor the agricultural heritage of the land,” said Ford.
In the past, Town Council has recognized that a dog park was not an intended use and denied a dog park in May Park.
“Now, after three denials by the Town Council, there are folks that say, ‘So, what? The Mays should have put it in writing if that is what they wanted.’ That is not the Jackson way. We used to deal with one another neighbor to neighbor. We trusted each other to keep our word. Even Mike Lance, the Jackson Town Councilor who managed the negotiations on behalf of the Town of Jackson with the May family in the 1990s, has repeatedly stated that a dog park is contrary to the May’s intent for their gift to Jackson,” said Rudy Sanford, in a public comment to the Town Council at a meeting in April of 2011.
As the debate around the development of the dog park persists, Parks & Rec has encouraged community members to provide their input through a public comment survey.
“I think everybody should participate and be heard and put their support or their opposition, it goes both ways,” said Moore.
To participate in the survey click here.
