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165 <br /> <br /> Responding to a question from Mr. Toscano, Mr. Peter Mclntosh, Vice Chair of <br />the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, said that Piedmont Virginia Community <br />College property was not explored, but property close to that was looked at. <br /> <br /> Mr. Toscano said that PVCC has a lot of green area and it is close to the urban <br />area. Mr. Toscano asked if there had been any discussion with the neighborhood about <br />having an off-leash area at Rives Park, and Mr. Mclntosh said no, Rives Park had only <br />been observed as a possibility. <br /> <br /> Mr. Toscano said that some say that dog excrement is an environmental problem <br />in the river at Riverview Park, and asked ifthe Board has a sense of whether this is a <br />myth or a reality. <br /> <br /> Mr. M¢Intosh said that the issue of dog waste was not considered by the Board as <br />a major criterion in its recommendation, but he said that half of the members thought of it <br />as a reason to vote the way they did~ Mr. Mclntosh said he does think the situation <br />regarding dog excrement has improved at l~dverview Parle <br /> <br /> Mr. Toscano said that the option of shared time still intrigues him, and suggested <br />that it could be done on an experimental basis by days. Mr. Toscano asked what is the <br />best argument against trying this. <br /> <br /> Mr. McIntosh said that while the idea is intriguing, the argument against it is that <br />play ought to be spontaneous. Mr. McIntosh added that users of the park would have a <br />tendency to fall prey to those who violate the times. In addition, Mr. Mclntosh said that <br />the Board did not find any working mechanisms for shared times. Mr. Mclntosh <br />continued that it would not address the concentration of dogs at Riverview. <br /> <br /> Mr. Caravati asked if the Board had any discussions with Albemarle County <br />about why they enacted a dog leash law, and Mr. McIntosh no, but noted that <br />Charlottesville is the only city with no leash law for parks that he knows of. <br /> <br /> Mr. Caravati asked if there are minimum standards for off-leash areas, and asked <br />if such standards will be developed. <br /> <br />Mr. Mclntosh said that any area less than 1 1/2 acres is too small. <br /> <br /> Responding to a question from Mr. Caravati about distance from residences, Mr. <br />Mclntosh said that needs to be developed. <br /> <br /> Mr. Toscano noted that the report says that funds are insufficient to expand parks. <br />Mr. Toscano said that all other park expansions in recent years has had substantial private <br />contributions, and asked if the Board is aware of any support for such an effort. <br /> <br /> Mr. Mclntosh said he has heard that dogs owners may be willing to suppOrt such <br />an effort, and also said that dog licenses could be increased. <br /> <br /> Ms. Richards asked when the dog area at Towe Park is projected to be ready for <br />use, and Mr. Pat Plocek, Parks Manager, said that it is hoped that the area will be fenced <br />in, with temporary fencing, by the end of September, with water available by the end of <br />October. The plan is to wait until the usage is determined before the area is expanded <br />and before permanent chain link fencing is installed. <br /> <br /> Iris. Peggy Van Yahres, Chair of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, said <br />one concern is that we not make any one area so popular that it becomes too crowded, <br />and said off-leash areas need to be spread out. Ms. Van Yahres said that the Board did <br />not recommend the proposal for Riverview made by Nathan Van Hooser because it <br />would give over most of the Park to dogs, and would include fencing in the floodway. <br />Ms. Van Yahres noted that the recommendation included exploring a smaller fenced in <br />area at Riverview Park. <br /> <br /> <br />