Sandy Springs Restricts Dogs At City Green Site

SANDY SPRINGS, GA — If you have a dog and you were hoping to allow it to roam the open areas at the new Sandy Springs City Hall, then you will have to rethink those plans, as city leaders have approved an ordinance restricting where pet owners can walk their dogs at City Springs.

The City Council at its June 19 meeting voted 4-2 to approve the ordinance, with Council members Tibby DeJulio and Chris Burnett opposing the measure. The new rules include a fine structure for violations: $50 for the first offense, $100 for second and third offenses, and $250 for any additional offenses. Guide dogs and service dogs will be permitted.

The measure was approved after city leaders were treated to a presentation outlining what other jurisdictions have done about pets in city parks. The City Green, the outdoor recreation area at City Springs, consists of paved areas with seating, tables and swings. It also includes a half-acre lawn and fountains that welcome children who choose to play in the waters. Sandy Springs notes the City Green is designed to be a space "where residents can gather, as well as meet to enjoy programmed events throughout the year."

"In the short time since opening, dogs and their owners have frequented the City Green, often times leaving pet waste behind," the city said in its release. "In addition, several landscape areas have been damaged."

The city also said there are various dog waste stations around the property. However, some residents of Aston City Springs, the residential component of the redeveloped site, have been not utilizing the bags provided at said stations, Sandy Springs said.

(For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here)

Since the area is centered around allowing children to play freely, with the grassy area set up to serve events, Council members agreed with staff recommendations to restrict pets within the park zone. However, that final decision didn't occur without some debate among City Council members.

Councilman John Paulson said while he has sympathy for dog owners, he "shudders" when he thinks about the City Green being used as a dog park.

"Sorry, I can't do it," he added. Sandy Springs has an off-leash dog park at Morgan Falls, and most of its parks allow dogs, provided that they are on a leash and their owners clean up their waste.

DeJulio noted the city of Sandy Springs was established as a family friendly community, and should be welcoming to residents with pets. There are no bad pets, just bad pet owners, so the city should focus on pressing those citizens to pick up after their four-legged family members.

“I think we need to work on the owners of the pets and penalize the owners of the pets for not taking care of their dog," he said, adding the city has a police precinct with nine patrol officers on bikes who can enforce the rules.

Burnett noted he understood both sides of the issue, and wondered if the city could strike a balance. He also said he did have a problem with the restriction, adding the City Springs property was paid for by the "very same people" who have dogs.

Councilman Andy Bauman, who said the half-acre site is "not Piedmont Park," said he was also in support of the measure, but wanted the city to study whether the restriction would be effective. Council member Jody Reichel, who said she takes her pup "everywhere I go," added part of City Springs' family-friendly atmosphere is being able to go to the green space and not have to worry about stepping in dog waste.

"I don't think we can train owners," she added.

Mayor Rusty Paul, who has three dogs, said he doesn't leave his home without a bag to clean up after his pets. However, when you clean up, you still leave behind "residue," children who play on the City Green could still come in contact with that material. As for the residential area adjacent to City Hall, Paul said he was "mortified" at the amount of fecal waste around that property. That issue would be up to Aston City Springs to enforce, but for the public components of the site, Sandy Springs is not in a situation where it can ignore the problem.

“We can’t do nothing," he said. "This, to me, is a public health issue.”

He went on to say that not taking any action would create a health issue for children. The city's policy takes effect immediately; however, fines will not become effective until July 19, giving the public time to become familiar with the new policy.

At least one resident, Rhonda Smith, spoke in favor of the city's actions. Smith, who also owns a dog, spoke towards the end of the meeting and called on Aston City Springs to add bag stations near its front door so its residents are "not set up to fail."

She also encouraged the city to enforce the ordinance for any dog owner who chooses to ignore the rule. While changing negative behavior would be difficult, it "could go a long way towards curbing the behavior," Smith added.

Image via Shutterstock