More Park History
October 10, 2008 Q&A with Julie Sina, Director of Parks & Recreation
Q: Is the park open?
A: The parking lot, the park approach area and training area is open for use. The rest of the park is not open.
Q: What warnings do we need to share?
A: The soils have been tested and all areas are safe for use by both humans and animals. At no time were there any levels outside the normal range
as reported by Terracon who performed the soil testing. Every attempt has been made to pick up and remove foreign objects by volunteers and staff. [There
is no turf and a great deal of sand and stubble. There is no water.] People may use the training area only.
Q: Will there be trash pick-up of some sort?
A: Yes, the Parks and Recreation Department has placed a dumpster in the parking lot in which to place BAGGED dog feces. There will be garbage cans
for non-animal waste. [As before, owners must bag their dogs' waste.]
Q: Do people who don't have 2008 permits need to purchase them? If so, where? And what is the cost?
A: Through the end of this season anyone who does not have a 2008 permit will not have to purchase one - they can use the park at no cost. The same
goes for daily use. [However, we still expect park users to make sure their dogs are up-to-date on vaccinations: rabies, parvo, distemper.]
Q: If people already have permits for 2008, will their permits be good for 2009 as well?
A: No. The 2008 permits will be good until the Parks and Recreation Department can implement a new fee collection system for 2009. Park users are asked
to remember that many people [and many city departments] suffered economic losses due to the flooding, including the Parks and Recreation Department.
Through an act of God, the use of the park was curtailed and the $15 to $25 annual fee needs to remain to cover continued costs which have now increased
due to Animal Control's inability to pick up the garbage and service the park. Parks and Recreation staff now has to provide a dumpster for waste, perform
garbage removal with the truck which costs $50 each trip for staff, fuel, tipping fees, etc. Staff has also been to the park mowing, providing fence posts,
debris/garbage removal, etc. Administrative staff has been meeting with K9COLA to discuss the future of the park and spending valuable time to work
out the details to relocate the park as well as taking the time to complete the work necessary to maximize FEMA reimbursement. The fees cover not only
direct costs at the park but also the administration of it. We have many flood-affected groups needing attention. We have prioritized current groups' needs,
placing the dog park toward the top of the list. At this time staff will continue to devote the necessary hours to our mutual benefit. Working together we can
make this happen.
Below you'll find a little historical information about the Cheyenne Park off-leash area, which was destroyed by flooding in the summer of 2008:
The Cheyenne Park Off-Leash Area (OLA), seen above in one of our favorite early spring views, opened on November 17, 2001 after about a year-and-a-half of hard work by a dedicated group of people who were the first K9COLA members. The Park was popular from the beginning, with over 500 annual permits sold the first year!
The Park offered a public space where people and their dogs could play, train, and exercise together without the dogs being leashed. You might find people practicing obedience, tracking, or hunting retrieves, or simply jogging with their dogs or enjoying a game of fetch.
The Park provided opportunities for dogs to learn human-dog and dog-dog socialization skills, which will
make them better citizens and neighbors. Elderly or disabled dog owners came to the Park, which provided
an accessible and safe place for them to exercise their canine companions. It was also a great place for dog
owners to meet other dog lovers, to talk and exchange information.
The Cheyenne Park OLA was a City park and the major maintenance work (mowing, major repairs, etc.) was done
by the City Parks Department.
The Park was located at 1500 Cedar Bend Lane, Ely, IA 52227 (about 1/4 mile up the road from the building that formerly
housed Cedar Rapids Animal Control, which was also destroyed by flooding); it was completely fenced and consisted of
about 15 acres, which included an entry area (where you'll would find
the Information Kiosk, the daily Honor Permit box, and the human-dog drinking fountain),
a one-and-a-half acre Training Yard, a one acre Small Dog Yard, and the main Park, divided about evenly between
a large open mown area and a wild area through which the Parks Department mows paths. There was a perimeter path around the entire fenceline, graveled
(and accessible for most wheelchairs during dry weather) in the open area and mown in the wild area. Plenty
of parking was available, and there was a Port-A-Jonny available outside the gate in the parking area.
