[Neighbors] Fwd: Hidden Park and dog use

[Tandi Hufnagel]

Hello neighbors -

There are no dog parks in the entire area from 1-40 down to Central, and
1-25 to San Mateo.  [https://www.cabq.gov/parksandrecreation/parks/dog-parks.
The tiny run at the Highland Senior Center is not a dog park, it is a small
fenced side yard about the size of a couple parking spaces.] Obviously with
the large number of dog owners in our area that is an issue.  Maybe some
additional messages from our community would help to remedy this
situation.

I sent the below letter to City Councilors for Districts 6 & 7.  Hidden
Park is in District 7 but many of us use that space.  D7 Councilor Tammy
Fiebelkorn is at tfiebelkorn at cabq.gov.  Our D6 Councilor Nichole Rogers is
at district6 at cabq.gov.

Hello Tammy and Nicole,

I am a resident of Nob Hill, and like most dog owners, I walk my dogs
around the neighborhood every day.  Dog walking is a way to get exercise,
meet neighbors, improve public safety by keeping eyes on the street, along
with being a necessary part of dog ownership.  Nob Hill is a particularly
great neighborhood for walking due to the pleasant residential streets and
scattering of parks.

*There are no dog parks in this neighborhood* - residents would have to get
in their cars and drive to find one in another part of the city.  This
creates many issues, which I'm sure are obvious - traffic, pollution,
wasted time, and the big one that continues to pop up is complaints about
off leash dogs at the neighborhood parks.

During our route we often walk through Hidden Park (McDuffie Park).  This
park is a favorite of the neighborhood, and I often stop to chat with other
dog owners that I have known from many years of park use.  We let our dogs
run around to work off their energy, and while the dogs play, the owners
chat.  It's a great experience for everyone, and there are rarely any
issues.

Based on the signage at the park today, it appears that some members of the
public do have an issue with this peaceful use of the park. This conflict
between park users has been an ongoing issue for many years, and *it's time
for some proactive, positive resolution*.

The fact is, *the majority of Hidden Park users are dog walkers*.  I
challenge the city to have someone do a study: sit in the park and count
the number and type of (human) users on any given day.  The majority of
Hidden Park users are dog owners and their dogs.  *Parks should be oriented
for their primary use. *Clearly the residents want this area for walking
their dogs, and many if not most of them would prefer to do that off leash,
as dogs generally need more running around than their owners are able to do.

It has been suggested by some local residents to *set aside half the park
area for a dog park*.  This is a great solution to an ongoing problem that
the city has done little to address.  It would be easy to add fencing
across half the park, or fence an inner area to maintain an outer walking
track.*  This area should continue to be watered and maintained as it is
today *- the issue with many city dog parks is lack of shade and a dusty
hot environment, which is another reason why owners choose to walk
their dogs in comfortable, shaded parks.

To reiterate,* this is a problem that has not been solved by signage or
fines. * There are a huge number of dog owners in the area; there are no
dog parks to serve them; they are doing the best they can with what the
city has provided. Dogs are like family to many people; expecting residents
to drive somewhere every day to exercise is a non-starter.

Listen to the majority of park users and set aside an area at Hidden Park
for their use.

Thank you,
Tandi Hufnagel
Hermosa Dr NE
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