OPED: Chatfield dog park plan misses the mark

Submitted By: Melissa Morris

 State Park Officials: Are You Listening?

Off-leash users are not opposed to change at Chatfield State Park’s off-leash dog area, but we are opposed to change that does not benefit all users equally creating a win-win for all parties.

Sport Dog Trainers need and deserve a great state of the art facility for both upland and flat-water training.  Currently, none of the proposed plans optimally meet their needs or requirements.  If all parties worked together to develop and fund the facility, we could create an amazing training area that fits their needs. 

Off-Leash Users already have fenced in back yards, but what we really value at Chatfield is the luxury of running and playing freely without a punitive fence.  We share concerns over erosion and dog waste.  With a coordinated, supportive effort by all parties we can define the sustainable outcomes and engineer solutions to reach those outcomes.  What the parks staff is offering are amenities of dubious value to the off-leash community in exchange for the loss of the things we value most.

The real significant safety concern at Chatfield State Park’s off-leash area is cars and bikes sharing a road down the face of the dam that is seriously narrow.  Instead of wasting funds on amenities that do not benefit any of the users, let’s put our efforts and money into solutions for a truly serious safety issue.

These are changes we would like to see; changes that we would be willing to pay extra for.  What State Park Officials are proposing is short-sighted, biased toward certain interest groups, dismissive of important needs of other groups and ultimately does not benefit any of the user groups. 

State Park Officials, extend your July 15/16 deadline to make a decision.  Allow all the users of this area a chance to work together to come to a common solution that benefits us all and preserves Chatfield as the shimmering crown jewel of the State Park system.

In my world of worlds, the Chatfield and Cherry Creek off-leash dog areas will be cited across the country as the best examples of how to do off-leash areas right and the Colorado State Park and Corps of Engineers staff will provide nationwide leadership in what is becoming a major recreational growth area.

Why should we settle for another drab, beaten earth fenced in off-leash area when we can create something truly special and unique?