Urban solution: An under-freeway, off-leash dog park

Commentary by Dan Hardebeck

First off all, let me state that I am not a dog owner. I like dogs quite a bit, but I just never felt I had the time to properly devote to a dog. I get pretty irritated at folks who own dogs and neglect them. Conversely, I admire people who live in high-occupancy buildings and are dedicated enough to take their dogs out several times a day to relieve themselves, as well as for fresh air, exercise, and play time.

Which brings me to several problems I have noticed in downtown Tacoma, and a potential win-win solution.

Problem #1 is the blighted area under the I-705 freeway adjacent to both the Tacoma Children's Museum and the Tacoma Art Museum. Every couple of months the city has to come in and clean up this area of all the trash left by homeless people and drug addicts (see photos below). The photos do not do justice to the full extent of the problem; when one actually stands in this area, one can see there is discarded clothing, food containers, broken furniture, plastic bags, shopping carts, and all manner of trash, not to mention people camped out and/or addicts openly shooting up at all times of day and night. The city does come and clean up from time to time, but the refuse quickly piles up again. 

Now, please do not misunderstand me; I am not callous to the plight of the homeless, and I am not going to get into all the issues surrounding Tacoma's homeless population here. But suffice to say that there are many, many other options for the homeless other than the area in question here. This specific area under I-705 between the 15th Street overpass and the Bridge of Glass is an extremely strategic spot, and in crucial need of improvement. If we want to connect downtown to the waterfront, and if we want that connection to be walkable and inviting, something needs to be done to make this area more usable and aesthetic. The city is investing millions of dollars in the surrounding blocks, but I fear it might all go for naught if this area right in the center of it all is not somehow considered. In addition to the two museums, this area abuts the future Prairie Line Trail and is very close to the Foss Waterway and all of the investment there.

Problem #2 is the lack of space for residents on the Foss Waterway - and throughout downtown - to walk their dogs. No, I should rephrase that. There is plenty of space downtown and on the Foss esplanade to walk dogs, but precious little grass for dogs to... do what dogs do on grass. Additionally, there is precious little open space that is appropriate for dogs to run around and exercise. The population density downtown is growing, and more units are under construction. When one considers the sheer number of dogs living only in units on the esplanade, as compared to the amount of grass on the esplanade, one is forced to start considering some rather squeamish thoughts. I, for one, would never even remotely consider sitting in any grassy area on the esplanade. And yet every day I see unsuspecting parents allowing babies and toddlers to crawl about in these areas. The public health implications are staggering. Let's face it, urban planners simply did not consider the open space necessary for dogs in this neighborhood, and the result is that there is now a crucial shortage of such space.

The solution to both problems, of course, is to turn the area under I-705 into an off-leash dog area. Given how much the city has invested in this area of downtown, a further investment of some lights, chain-link fencing and signage just does not seem like that much. OK, I realize there is more than that to the creation of a new park, but off-leash areas must have a pretty good cost-to-benefit ratio. And a steady stream of people in the area, walking their dogs and staying dry under the freeway's cover at the same time, would certainly cut down on the city's need to repeatedly go into that area and clean up what is, frankly, an astounding and dangerous mess.

We do not have to look far to see where similar off-leash areas have successfully been created, for exactly the same reasons. The I-5 Colonnade Park in Seattle, which has similar terrain to the area in question, features an off-leash park (in addition to a mountain-biking course):

The city of San Diego also has a very nice under-freeway dog park:

Heck, even Oakland has done this:

How about it? Anyone want to get behind the idea of an urban core dog park? Is there some person out there who would be willing to take this before the city council and/or the parks department? Please use the "comments" section below to share your thoughts!