Friends of Evergreen Dog Park loses 8-acre parcel, plans protest for Saturday
Jeffco Open Space announced Friday that it will close the Elk Meadow Dog Off-leash Area in Evergreen in its entirety on Tuesday, April 4.
The Elk Meadow dog park has multiple safety and environmental challenges that need to be addressed immediately, an Open Space news release stated. Earlier this month, Open Space evaluated keeping an eight-acre parcel open for park visitor enjoyment. It has become apparent that this would help address some concerns, but not all, the release stated.
The announcement to close Elk Meadow completely comes two days after Doug Turner, vice-president and director of Friends of Evergreen Dog Park, penned a letter to Open Space and the Jeffco Board of County Commissioners demanding that management of the dog park be turned over to the local nonprofit and that all 107 acres remain open for public use.
The notion that Open Space was setting The Friends up to fail was a viewpoint widely shared by about 30 dog lovers who attended a community meeting on March 21 at Church of the Hills in Evergreen. Up until a week ago, it was the nonprofit’s board of directors’ understanding that they would be given the authority to enforce Open Space’s strict rules to keep their fenced, eight-acre sliver of Elk Meadow open until a new dog park site was located.
But Betsy Rich, president of the nonprofit, said last week that Open Space backed out of that agreement.
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