WESTMINSTER, Colo. — An area of open space located in Westminster is where one of Colorado's largest off-leash dog parks is located, but the city is considering changes to the area that have residents upset.
“We are recommending that we return the majority of that area to an on-leash opportunity, which is consistent with our open space,” said open space superintendent Joe Reale.
The Westminster Hills Open Space is 420 acres of space available for dogs to run, fetch and play off-leash.
A new proposal from the city's Parks, Trails and Open Space Department would drastically reduce that off-leash area, limiting it to a small corner of the existing space.
The city presented four concepts for community feedback that incorporate many of the ideas that the city received from residents earlier this month.
Some of those include shrinking the off-leash area to from more than 400 acres to 33 acres, shrink the off-leash area to a space bigger than 33 acres, or close the space to dogs entirely while creating off-leash areas throughout the city.
However, the city's survey revealed 47% of those surveyed want to see it untouched.
> Watch video above that aired Jan. 27: Popular Westminster dog park could soon see reduction in off-leash space
Reale said the city is growing increasingly concerned about the impact off-leash dogs are having on the landscape, wildlife and ecosystem. More than 1 million people visited the park last year.
“We are coming to the conclusion that our dog off-leash opportunity is having a negative impact on those natural resources, so we are recommending at this point that we change the designation to an on-leash requirement.”
The city said problems they found with the land in a recent study opened their eyes.
"What they discovered really opened our eyes," said Tomás Herrera-Mishler, the director of parks, recreation and library for the city of Westminster. "What they discovered was there was E.coli in all the bodies of water out there. It’s so bad it exceeds EPA standards we have to close water access out there right away because we can’t risk the spread of disease to our puppies or people."
The city said the paths have been another problem.
"The other thing we discovered is the paths out there has just gotten wider and bigger and it created a situation with terrible erosion," said Herrera-Mishler. "The paths are supposed to be 10 feet wide, they’re actually 50 feet wide, not all of them but the main ones. And there's disturbance of 30 feet on each side which has created a breading ground for tumbleweed."
Another issue has been parking, according to the city.
"The illegal parking issue there simply isn’t enough parking to meet the demand of a million people," said Herrera-Mishler. "We have increased parking six times, and all that does is increase demand."
Dog owners who regularly use the off-leash park are disappointed with the potential changes.
Kristen Cobb is a dog owner who said she moved to the area specifically to have access to the park.
“I would have to find somewhere else to go, it would be really devastating,” she said. “I’ve shed tears over it. It would really break my heart.”
Cobb believes the city has been too quiet about the proposal, without giving residents enough chance to offer input.
A survey put together by the city showed overwhelming support for keeping the open space the way it is.
“This is one of the only places around the entire city that is like this,” she said. “Dogs are my favorite part about life, and this is where you see them at their happiest, and it would just be completely devastating to so many people, and all of their dogs as well.”
She’s hoping the city will consider other options like more fencing to preserve certain areas.
Reale said they are still receiving public feedback, and no final decision has been made.
If the department moves forward with its recommendation, the topic will eventually go before the Westminster City Council.
Find additional information on Westminster Hills Open Space.
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