Do you think that there should be a dog off-leash area at Willamette Park?  The Portland Parks Department has asked a citizen volunteer panel to advise it concerning dog off-leash areas and hours in Southwest Portland.  A committee for the Parks Department has already decided that there should be off-leash areas or hours in Portland Parks and this committee was set up solely to advise on the parks for these activities.

The committee is looking at four parks for off-leash areas; Hillsdale Park, Gabriel Park, Willamette Park and Duniway Park.  The area proposed for a dog off-leash area in Willamette Park is the area between the parking lot and the railroad tracks.  It would be a long narrow dog off-leash area.

I am on the citing committee and I am interested in what people think.  I think that it might be a good thing.  Dog owners in Johns Landing have not had a place to go ever since they were forced off of the Terwilliger School property.  Also, it may reduce conflicts with other people on the path along the river.  People might be more likely to keep their dog on a leash in that area if they had an area where the dogs could run loose.

However, I feel that there could be problems as well.  One of the problems at Gabriel Park has been over-use.  Since it was the only dog off-leash space in the area people came from all over to use it.  This may not be as much as a problem at Willamette Park since other nearby cities are opening dog parks and the citing committee is looking at other parks. However, I think that if Willamette Park is the only dog off-leash area in Southwest Portland the overcrowding problem would be worse than Gabriel Park.  I think that Willamette Park is used by as many or more people than Gabriel Park and it is smaller.

The committee has one or two more meetings (that are open to the public) and then there will be an open-house to discuss our findings.  I am interested in what you think.  Please use the "Your Opinion" form to let me know what you think. or email me at LEB@pacifier.com.  Also, please consider attending the meetings of the committee. The next meeting is May 23 at 7:00 at the Mutlnomah Center in the Hamilton room.

Lee Buhler
May 2002