Magnolia Manor Park will be the site of a brand-new off-leash dog area (OLA) later this year. Originally, funding (approved in the 2008 Parks and Green Spaces levy), allowed for a 16,000 square foot OLA, (which is about the size of the smallest dog parks in Seattle – think Regrade at 3rd & Bell or Plymouth Pillars on Capitol Hill), but Magnolia dog owners wanted a bigger and better space. The current plan (pending funding) is a 21,000 square feet OLA, with a planting buffer and room for a small/shy area and a chuck-it zone.
On their website Friends of Magnolia Manor Park challenge:
YOU will determine how big it is. Big enough?What can you get for $35 these days?A meal out–for one. A week of lattes…
How about a new dog park?Parks will decide… how much OLA they can build with the amount available. Are you in?
A new dog park on Magnolia? $35.
A ticket for an off-leash dog? $54. (or $109, $136, $162…)
Never again having to pay an off leash ticket (or drive 45 minutes to walk the dog)? Priceless!…Only $35 from each licensed-dog owner on Magnolia will build this park!! Go to www.coladog.org/mmpMatch to donate and make a difference!
Click here for more info
.
Do you know why an off leash area is not being done in Discovery Park instead? Only seems to be the largest and most likely place to put one. Magnolia Manor is way to small.
There are a variety of reasons why it would not be appropriate for Discovery Park–mainly because it is not compatable with the park’s Master Plan. A quote on Discovery Park’s primary function from the Plan: “The primary role of this park in the life of the city is dictated by its incomparable site. That role should be to provide an open space of quiet and tranquility for the citizens of this city—a sanctuary where they might escape the turmoil of the city and enjoy the rejuvenation which quiet and solitude and an intimate contact with nature can bring.”
Off-leash areas are generally not places of quiet and solitude in my experience. In addition, Discovery Park is intended as a place for other animals/wildlife to be “off-leash,” and having dogs (natural predators) nearby would interfere with that mission. And finally, having a off-leash area near the water would be a non-starter as those beaches are intended as sanctuaries for marine mammals who need to rest (think seal pups).
You can find the Master Plan here: http://www.seattle.gov/parks/parkspaces/discoverypark/documents/masterplan1.pdf
Mike
Awesome Mike. Exactly what I was thinking.
Is anyone else having problems with the PayPal donations site?
I couldn’t get their PayPal link to work either.
I agree with Moe… why not Discovery Park?? And down near the beach so the dogs could play in and out of the water. I would seem to me that there is lots of space on either side of the lighthouse that could be used. People don’t seem to like the sewer plant but dogs… they could not care less.
To those having a problem with the donate link on the COLA website: I had that issue the other day when I tried to give. I contacted the COLA webmaster and got the below response in about 10 minutes. I just tried donating again and it worked. So do try again!
“We have been having intermittent problems with the PayPal donations page, for no reason anybody can seem to figure out. As you noted, it complains about the the “email address supplied by the seller”. However,m hat address (treasurer@coladog.org) hasn’t changed in years. And the PayPal donation form _usually_ works – some other people have donated even today. Very frustrating – for our donors even more than for COLA.You may try the same thing again and find it works.Or, you can snail-mail a paper check to COLA at the address listed at the very bottom of every COLA web page: P.O. Box 17469 . Seattle, WA 98127-7469Thank you very much for your donation – and for your patience. Sorry for the inconvenience.”