ELY- After years of talking about it, Ely dog owners are on their way to creating an enclosed dog park in Ely. The project took a big leap forward last week when the Ely Board of Adjustment issued a conditional use permit, or CUP, to a group of Ely dog owners who have organized to set up and maintain a dog park in the city.
The dog park will use the underutilized southeast softball diamond at the Jerome Debeltz Fields, which has been designated as a “dog-friendly field” since late summer. It will be converted into a fully enclosed field with segregated spaces for small and large canines.
The land belongs to the city of Ely, which will lease the field to the dog park organization, which was incorporated in December as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The land for the dog park is zoned as “P2” public land, which allows for dog parks with a CUP, which allows the city to impose conditions on the operation. On Jan. 8, Ely dog owner Bruce Wheelright submitted the required application on behalf of the nonprofit to convert the dog-friendly field into an enclosed dog park.
Public hearing
The Ely Board of Adjustment held a public hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 18 on the CUP application. The details of the CUP application and the plans for the dog park were presented by Ely dog owner Craig Rice on behalf of the nonprofit.
Public testimony in favor of the CUP application was given by Angela Campbell, Francis Douglas, Frederica Musgrave, Betsy Cullen, and Adam Bisbee. While Musgrave and Bisbee favored the park, they both suggested that only vaccinated dogs should be allowed and that dangerous and aggressive dogs should be banned.
“There should also be an expectation for instant reporting (of aggressive dog behavior),” Bisbee suggested, “as well as warnings for any owners whose dogs are involved in an incident, whether it’s a three-strike policy or something to that effect.”
“I think the dog park is a great idea,” said Cullen, who works part-time as a pet sitter. “I got into a little back and forth with somebody who is opposed to it because they have experienced naughty dogs that attacked each other. To those folks, I’d say that if you’re afraid that your dog’s going to get attacked, or get a disease, or whatever, then just don’t go.”
CUP
The Board of Adjustment first voted on a motion to grant the CUP with no conditions, but that motion failed, with board members Joe Prioreschi and Scott Anderson voting in favor and David Hernesmaa, Emily Roose, and Jeanette Palcher voting against. Members Alan White and Jim Burke were absent.
After the first vote, the board members discussed what sort of conditions would be appropriate for the dog park, eventually threshing out a list of nine, which are as follows:
• Follow all rules and regulations of the lease agreement established by the city of Ely
• Require a minimum four-foot-high fence around the outer perimeter of the dog park.
• Mow and perform general maintenance of the field, including the removal of trash and dog waste, and providing a restroom.
• Hours of operation are dawn to dusk.
• Alcohol, cannabis, cannabinoid, and tobacco use are prohibited.
• Must seek permission from the city for any modifications to the land other than what has already been approved.
• Carry sufficient liability insurance.
• Require that all dogs using the dog park must be up to date on vaccines.
• No one under eight can use the dog park and children between eight and sixteen must be accompanied by an adult.
Palcher made the motion to approve a CUP with the above conditions, which passed unanimously. Prioreschi then made a new motion to recommend that the city council waive the $250 CUP application fee for the nonprofit. This also passed unanimously. The recommendation to waive the fee will be on the agenda for the next city council meeting on March 4.
What’s next
Having received its CUP, the organizers of the dog park are preparing to jump their next hurdle, which is raising the money to fix the fence and completely enclose the field. The fence work is estimated at $35,000, based on quotes that Wheelright and Rice have solicited from fencing companies who do business in Ely.
The day after the CUP was approved, Wheelright was working on setting up a GoFundMe campaign to collect donations for the fence.