“By
Phoenix City Code 8‑14, dogs are allowed anywhere but
they must be on a leash in a public park,” explained David Urbinato,
public information officer for the Parks and Recreation Department.
“It’s a misdemeanor, no set fine. It’s up to the judge’s discretion,
but punishable up to $2,500.”
“Rangers’
primary role is educational ... not to take out a ticket book
and write a ticket. They
are trained to educate people.
If there’s a park where we have a chronic problem with
off‑leash dogs, then they can ticket,” Urbanito continued.
“Violation is a mandatory court appearance.”
Jesko
doesn’t argue with the city code. “If it’s the rule, that’s
fair enough,” he says. “But we want to know what it would take
to get a park where our dogs can play off their leashes.” Presently,
the closest “dog park” is Grovers Park to the south, just west
of Cave Creek Road, 10‑15 miles away.
“With
the park rangers worrying us about the dogs being off the leash,
I contacted (Councilwoman) Peggy Neely,” said Jane King, another
Tatum Ranch resident.
Neely
told King in a letter: “There is not currently a site designated
in the Tatum Ranch area. However, after construction on the
current parks slated is completed, this issue will be revisited
and possible new sites will be studied at that time.”
King
went on to say, “She (Neely) suggested I contact the Tatum Ranch
Homeowners Association, but I have a hard time believing that
an HOA has anything to do with Phoenix Parks and Recreation.”
“It
seems weird that we would have to go through an HOA when the
city has control,” Jesko echoed.
“It
doesn’t have to be Desert Willow Park,” King added, “just somewhere
up in the North Valley.”
Many
residents wonder why, in an area of high density and small lots,
Phoenix cannot easily create a dog park. But while the city
has jurisdiction of Desert Willow Park, as it does all city
parks, it does not have control over private property within
Tatum Ranch.
Creation
of a dog park is something that an HOA could bring about, however.
“All
of a homeowners association is private property,” points out
Dick Schinke, community manager of Tatum Ranch. “If the board
of directors wants to make some changes to the common areas
of the property, that’s something we can do.” Schinke read from
the Covenants, Codes and Restrictions (CC&Rs) of Tatum Ranch,
Section 3 of Article 5:
“By
a majority vote of the board, the Association may from time
to time, and subject to the provisions of this declaration,
adopt and amend and repeal rules and regulations to be known
as the Tatum Ranch rules.”
“So
that alone is enough for a majority of the board votes to put
a dog run in somewhere that it can be done,” Schinke stated.
He noted, however, that at this time the association does not
have any common area set aside for such a park. “The individual
would have to come before the board. And the board would have
to research...but maybe they would find out they could (put
in a dog park).”
Schinke
added that anytime there are major changes requested of the
association, although the board has the authority to implement
a change, they do contact residents seeking input. He also pointed
to quarterly meetings of the Tatum Ranch HOA where residents
can express concerns and voice opinions.
“I
don’t want to cause trouble,” King asserted. “I just want a
place for our dogs. We love our dogs.” King related that she
is considering taking the request for a dog park before the
HOA’s board of directors.
