City to expand Maple Ridge Park’s off-leash dog area by 1,690 square metres

The City of Maple Ridge has concluded the consultation process with the community on its plans to expand the off-leash area in the Maple Ridge Park, and will be expanding the area by 1,690 square meters.

According to Valoree Richmond, the director of parks & facilities, now that the dog park consultation has concluded, the city staff is in the process of evaluating the feedback from the public consultation.

“We will be using that information to inform the final design of the park, and therefore we do not have a firm date on when the construction work will be completed,” said Richmond, adding that the new area will be phased in with minimal disruption to the existing off-leash area.

The expansion plan calls for the construction of a new outside perimeter fence, after which the city will remove the old fencing material. The city is currently finalizing the details of the design based on the community feedback.

The estimated investment in the site is expected to be approximately $20,000, Richmond said.

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This expansion work builds on the Dog Park Survey in 2020 which had almost 300 people responding to it.

“This project is in direct response to comments from the community received through this public engagement process. With the number of registered dogs in the City of Maple Ridge trending over 7,000, we believe this expansion will help the community by providing designated space for off-leash exercise and socialization for dogs and their owners. This is especially helpful for those who do not have yards to allow for off-leash activity,” Richmond added.

According to Richmond, the users of these spaces have always been providing the city with feedback on the functionality of the spaces.

“Based on feedback received, we plan for improvements to provide a range of opportunities for our park visitors. By providing off-leash designated spaces that meet dog and owners needs, people will visit these spaces to exercise their dogs, and promote socialization of dogs, which is an important component of pet ownership and community safety,” she said.

The results of the dog park survey can be found here: www.mapleridge.ca/1439/Dog-Parks.

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