Written by The Renton community services department has prepared a memo for council recommending against allowing dogs at Coulon Park at this time. You can read the memo by clicking here .
This city parks department worked very hard assessing this request, going as far as to survey residents and wade through many, many inputs (for and against.)
In the end, the Parks Commission (which is composed of Renton Citizen volunteers and helps set park rules and policy), unanimously agreed with the city staff recommendation.
The council has final authority over this issue, and we will discuss it at Committee of the Whole on Monday (which runs 5:30 to 7:00 PM). History shows that council is unlikely to vote against a combined staff recommendation and unanimous Parks Commission recommendation on an issue like this.
I will wait until we see the presentation on Monday night to make a final decision.
Hmmm…I still think it’s odd that the park is so restrictive – public land for public uses…but if that’s really what people want…that is why I will make sure to buy a house with lots of land, so I can have dogs, horses, bike trails, etc. (Maybe even fly a kite on it!!!)
I wanted to read the memo, but I’m afraid at this time it just links to google docs and asks me to sign in. Apparently I can’t remember my password, so I can’t see it.
Thanks for the comment Katie. I re-hosted the document with another service, and you should not have to log in now. Thanks for pointing this out to me. I did not mean for people to have to log in to read it.
Thanks for the comment Katie. I re-hosted the document with another service, and you should not have to log in now. Thanks for pointing this out to me. I did not mean for people to have to log in to read it.
maybe not
Possibly, what the people want is not what they got. It happens, especially when a committee gets to decide for us. Maybe we should have a referendum on it the next election.
Considering that the new dog park, even thought it is on publicly owned land, is completely inaccessible to disabled citizens, I think Coulon should be an option.
Hmmm…I still think it’s odd that the park is so restrictive – public land for public uses…but if that’s really what people want…that is why I will make sure to buy a house with lots of land, so I can have dogs, horses, bike trails, etc. (Maybe even fly a kite on it!!!)
I wanted to read the memo, but I’m afraid at this time it just links to google docs and asks me to sign in. Apparently I can’t remember my password, so I can’t see it.
I’m glad that there will hopefully be one park in Renton where tranquility is considered a priority.
Another thing to consider is that the north end of Coulon exits into a private road – I’ve used it and *NEVER* have gotten any dirty looks from the private owners, but I bet that would change if people started bringing dogs down into their road.
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It’s too bad that there isn’t a win/win solution – if BNSF will sell the train tracks then that would be an excellent general purpose trail.
“I’m glad that there will hopefully be one park in Renton where tranquility is considered a priority.”
Right, because everyone who visits the north end of Coulon now does so with the expectation of tranquility and serenity — like that group of 30-odd high school kids smoking and drinking on the lawn the last time I was there, and loud skateboarders who passed by, and the screaming chunky 3 year-olds stuffed into strollers. Dogs on leashes would surely upset the Zen-like quality of the park.
I don’t live near Coulon, so I’m less emotionally attached to the idea of walking my dogs in it, but if I lived 50 ft. from its entrance and was denied that opportunity, I’d be upset, too. Especially since Lake WA Blvd has no sidewalks.
I’m glad that there will hopefully be one park in Renton where tranquility is considered a priority.
Another thing to consider is that the north end of Coulon exits into a private road – I’ve used it and *NEVER* have gotten any dirty looks from the private owners, but I bet that would change if people started bringing dogs down into their road.
…
It’s too bad that there isn’t a win/win solution – if BNSF will sell the train tracks then that would be an excellent general purpose trail.
I personally think it’s a crock that Coulon doesn’t even allow dogs on leash. That’s Renton pretending it’s Medina. There are zero parks in Seattle forbidding on leash dogs. Yes, they enforce leash laws, especially swimming dogs, a 500 dollar fine.
And the proposal was not to allow dogs in the entirety of Coulon Park, just the north end, and on leash.
I guess the rationale is that ” We gave you an offleash area. We don’t have to do anything else.”
How about a few more offleash areas? I was on the offleash task force, and I’m happy the offleash area exists, but much of what the task force recommended has not happened.
Respectfully disagree with Ira. I have three dogs. Terriers. They BELONG on leashes. Off-leash parks aren’t for us. What is MOST frustrating about Coulon Park is that every time I walk it, there are people with dogs that get by with no repercussions and folks riding bikes–even though there signs saying no bikes–riding a hundred (I’m exaggerating) miles an hour. I can’t walk my dog or dogs in the prettiest spot in Renton by the water. ON A LEASH.
I’m thinking we’re not really disagreeing. Off leash dogs are not for all dogs. My dog is almost 17 years old and really prefers walking without other dogs around.
But off leash areas make a lot of dogs and their people happy.
The only time I ever went to Coulon with my dog ( on leash) was 11 years ago or so, and didn’t realize dogs were forbidden. About two minutes into the walk, I was stopped and told to leave.
Sometimes rules need to be enforced. Word gets around fast. It would take just a few bicyclists getting nabbed at Coulon and a few dogs in the lake with their owners getting fined 500 dollars to put a damper on things.
The rule forbidding dogs from Coulon just doesn’t seem logical to me. Some people who go the beach are going to illegally open a bottle of beer there and consume it. Consequently, should we forbid people from going to the beach?
Because some people are going to jaywalk, are we going to forbid street crossing, whether or not at the crosswalk?
I’m thinking we’re not really disagreeing. Off leash dogs are not for all dogs. My dog is almost 17 years old and really prefers walking without other dogs around.
But off leash areas make a lot of dogs and their people happy.
The only time I ever went to Coulon with my dog ( on leash) was 11 years ago or so, and didn’t realize dogs were forbidden. About two minutes into the walk, I was stopped and told to leave.
Sometimes rules need to be enforced. Word gets around fast. It would take just a few bicyclists getting nabbed at Coulon and a few dogs in the lake with their owners getting fined 500 dollars to put a damper on things.
The rule forbidding dogs from Coulon just doesn’t seem logical to me. Some people who go the beach are going to illegally open a bottle of beer there and consume it. Consequently, should we forbid people from going to the beach?
Because some people are going to jaywalk, are we going to forbid street crossing, whether or not at the crosswalk?
Respectfully disagree with Ira. I have three dogs. Terriers. They BELONG on leashes. Off-leash parks aren’t for us. What is MOST frustrating about Coulon Park is that every time I walk it, there are people with dogs that get by with no repercussions and folks riding bikes–even though there signs saying no bikes–riding a hundred (I’m exaggerating) miles an hour. I can’t walk my dog or dogs in the prettiest spot in Renton by the water. ON A LEASH.
I personally think it’s a crock that Coulon doesn’t even allow dogs on leash. That’s Renton pretending it’s Medina. There are zero parks in Seattle forbidding on leash dogs. Yes, they enforce leash laws, especially swimming dogs, a 500 dollar fine.
And the proposal was not to allow dogs in the entirety of Coulon Park, just the north end, and on leash.
I guess the rationale is that ” We gave you an offleash area. We don’t have to do anything else.”
How about a few more offleash areas? I was on the offleash task force, and I’m happy the offleash area exists, but much of what the task force recommended has not happened.