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228 <br /> <br /> Ms. Richards asked Council how they would feel about holding an impromptu <br />public hearing, and Mr. Brown suggested that if Council wants to hold a public hearing, <br />they should advertise it in advance. <br /> <br /> Mr. Toscano said he feels it is time to bring the issue to closure, and noted that the <br />public is well aware of what the issues are. <br /> <br /> Mr. Lynch agreed with Mr. Toscano, and said that while this is not an ideal <br />solution, it provides plenty of room to go forward. <br /> <br /> Mr. Cox agreed and said he has heard about every position he can imagine and is <br />not sure any new arguments can be made. Mr. Cox said he would prefer to make a <br />decision with the understanding that it is a start and may need to be fine tuned. <br /> <br /> Mr. Toscano asked about the issue of voice control, and Mr. Brown said that dogs <br />are not allowed to run at large and are subject to the direction of the owner. <br /> <br /> Responding to a question from Mr. Cox, Mr. Pat Plocek, Parks Manager, said that <br />when dogs reach the end ofthe loop they must be put on a leash for the remainder ofthe <br />trail. <br /> <br /> Mr. Cox noted that the property beyond the initial loop is private property, and the <br />easements could be revoked by the owners. <br /> <br /> Mr. Toscano made a motion to amend the ordinance to add cemeteries to the areas <br />where leashes are required, Mr. Cox seconded the motion, and the amendment was <br />approved by the followhag vote. Ayes: .Mr. Caravati, Mr. Cox, Mr. Lynch, Ms. Richards, <br />Mr. Toscano. NOes: None. <br /> <br /> Ms. Richards said she will not vote in favor of the ordinance as she favors a leash <br />law and strongly favors the creation of dogs runs. Ms. Richards said the trail system at <br />Piedmont Virginia Community College is a possibility and she supports identifying <br />additional sites that have access to water. Ms. Richards said she is concerned that the <br />shared time proposal is a compromise the neighborhood did not willingly participate in <br />and said they feel somewhat sold out. Ms: Richards said that other areas that have shared <br />times are for much larger areas, and is concerned that the concentrated use will degrade <br />the environment, and will make the area used ahnost exclusively by unleashed dogs. Ms. <br />Richards said this means we are not really talking about sharing, we are talking about an <br />alternate use. Ms. Richards said she also thinks the shared time will be unenforceable. <br /> <br /> Mr. Caravati said he will not support the ordinance with the shared time, noting <br />that he does not think it is a very creative solution, the enforceability is questionable, and <br />it ignores the wishes of the neighborhood. Mr. Caravati said he thinks the park is in fact <br />a neighborhood park, and was never meant to be regional. Mr. Caravati said he is <br />concerned about the negative impact on the environment and feels this kind of use is <br />inappropriate for that location. He said he would like to pursue other dog parks and <br />shared arrangements, and is willing to pursue more land at Riverview. <br /> <br />Ms. Richards asked how we will recognize if this pilot is working,, <br /> <br /> Mr. Lynch said that he does not think this is an ideal solution, but before we can <br />move away from this we need to have other alternatives, and noted that none of those are <br />on the table right now. <br /> <br /> Mr. Cox said he will support the ordinance, and noted that he feels both sides <br />came away disappointed. Mr. Cox said people will need to change their habits, and said <br />that the neighborhood has regained the park for four days, including the weekends. He <br />said he thinks other solutions need~to be explored. He said he is interested in evaluating <br />the pilot in six months and exploring other alternatives. <br /> <br /> Mr. Toscano said that as part of the evaluation of the success of the pilot he would <br />like to See counts of people using the park before and after the ordinance goes into effect, <br />and if numbers jump on the days off leash dogs are allowed, it could be problematic. He <br /> <br /> <br />