City expands dog parks

SANDPOINT — Local dog-lovers now have more places than ever to spend a little quality time with man’s best friend.

Council members expanded the number of dog-friendly public parks Wednesday by allowing leashed pets in the Lake Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail and its Sandpoint entry point, Humbird Mill Park. They also tightened up established dog-friendly zones in Lakeview Park and Hickory Park by specifying where dogs were and were not welcome.

“I appreciate this move and think it’s a positive one for the city,” Councilman Shelby Rognstad said.

Based on the revised ordinance, dogs are still permitted in Hickory and Lakeview parks with leashes mandatory.

However, they are not permitted to go near the fenced tennis courts, the boundaries of the basketball court or inside the fence at Memorial Field. Similarly, leashed dogs are free to visit Hickory Park except for areas near the children’s playground, the basketball court or the skate feature.

As for Humbird Mill Park and the trail, dogs are welcome to go anywhere with their owners. Leashes are recommended but not required. In all parks, an owner is permitted to bring a maximum of three dogs per handler.

At the meeting, council members asked Parks and Recreation Director Kim Woodruff why the ordinance only recommended leashes for dogs, wondering if that could be a liability issue. According to Woodruff, it shouldn’t be a problem. The main reason for specifying leashes as a recommendation and not a requirement was an enforcement issue, he said. Woodruff added he trusts residents to exercise appropriate measures for the most part.

“Sometimes I think we try to govern and make laws for a very few people who maybe don’t have common sense at the expense of most people who do,” he said.

Woodruff is particularly excited to expand resident’s options when it comes to Humbird Mill Park and the Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail. As the entry point to the Sandpoint end of the trail, Woodruff said the waterfront Humbird Mill Park has become once of the more popular recreational locations in town. In a memo to the council, he said the unique character of the park made it an ideal spot for residents to enjoy some time with their pets.

“Because of the physical location, traditional use and nature in general, Humbird is different from our other parks,” he said.