Keep Auditorium Shores Leash Free: for AUSTIN, TEXAS residents ONLY

ATTENTION:  RESIDENTS of AUSTIN, TEXAS ONLY
To be presented to Austin City Council.  Please login from Austin computers. 

Auditorium Shores is Austin's largest and best off-leash dog park.  Its central location makes it easy access for downtown residents with dogs, as well as dog owners that live further away.  Wide expanses of lawn and long stretches of waterfront access (that accomodate dogs of all ages and size) make this a joyous place for both dogs and owners to socialize and relax.  

The Austin Park's plan drastically reduces the size of the off-leash area, fences it in, relocates it to the spot that is furthest from the parking lot and adjacent to an outlet pipe full of slime.  The design also adds fencing along the water that will trap dogs that do not exit the water at the launch pads and it drastically reduces shoreline access.  What's worse is the design proposes a complete ban on dogs at the large lawn area adjacent to the parking lot to favor the needs of private interests.

Austin Parks says the dogs cause conflicts with joggers and bicyclists. However, the design not only does not resolve the bottlenecks that have created the conflict, but they have created the potential for new bottlenecks.  We favor a design that retains the current leash free area, but loops am alternate jogging trail around the area where most of the dogs congregate, which is from the South First St. parking lot to the Stevie Ray Vaughan Statue.  In other words, move the path, not the dogs.  Trail users have access to miles of unhampered trails.  Surely they can be re-routed to accomodate a less than a quarter mile stretch of happy dogs.   

http://www.kvue.com/video?id=227000591&sec=551077

(photo is from http://walkyourdogaustin.com/city/auditorium-shores/)