Mud bog, light plan make pet pals growl

The small field is a place for dogs and people to mingle during the cool morning hours or at the end of a long, hot day.

Quaint and marked by a neighborly atmosphere, the dog park is the last place one would expect high drama. But lately, the park's tranquil community vibe has taken a hit, with an impending shutdown and with many dog owners upset about proposed changes.

The park's problems mostly center around a sprawling patch of dirt. The park will be closing on Monday for about six weeks so the city can lay down sod or refined granite to cover it.

But for several weeks, the dirt patch and what to do about it have been bones of contention between dog owners and city staffers.

Mix in irritation over a soon-to-be-installed light post at the very center of the park — a location that has irked some of the dog owners — and fangs have been bared.

A community meeting will be held Monday night to hash out concerns and put to rest the doggy drama.

"People are not happy about the park being closed for six weeks," said Joan Visconti, a fixture at the park along with her dog, Shree. Visconti can be found at the park, near North Sixth and East Grant Road, most mornings and late afternoons, and she has been outspoken about the proposed maintenance.

For example, the new light will be good, she said, because it will allow extension of the park's hours. But the location, right smack dab in the center of the minipark, seems awkward to her.

City officials said it's the only place where the light can go and still be effective. Other possible locations would affect a nearby neighborhood or Sixth Avenue.

Miguel Ortega, chief of staff for Ward 3 City Councilwoman Karin Uhlich, said a representative from Uhlich's office will be at the meeting. He said he hopes the small issues such as the light will be resolved so the meeting can focus on a larger need for more parks.

"I'm hopeful on Monday the minor things are going to be cleared up," Ortega said. "If we need to make some changes, we need to make some changes."

Addressing the dirt-patch dispute will likely take the skills of a master statesman.

The dirt became a hot issue for dog owners about a month ago when the city began flooding it overnight with the hope of getting the grass to spread and cover it.

The problem was that the water wasn't soaking in, and when dog owners arrive in the morning, the park looked like a mud bog. The massive puddles not only made the dogs filthy, but they also raised concerns about safety, because a few of the park's older users have nearly slipped in the mud.

E-mails were sent, phone calls were made, and eventually a meeting with the Tucson Parks and Recreation Department staff was held.

"I wouldn't call it over-watering, but yes, the mud was a problem, and we met with them out there," said Karen Larkin, a superintendent with Parks and Recreation. "In trying to water it, we just got mud."

Visconti and Larkin offered varied takes on what the meeting accomplished. But for a few days, at least, the city reduced watering, and Visconti said most of the park's users were happy.

"For three days, the park was perfect," she said.

But then the watering resumed, park users complained, and now the water used for irrigation has been shut off.

Larkin said the water was shut off in anticipation of the new ground cover. In addition to the new grass or granite, workers plan to add French drains, essentially trenches with gravel that redirect water, which Larkin said she hopes will address the irrigation woes.

She didn't know how much the renovations would cost taxpayers, but she said the peak of summer was the optimal time to lay down sod.

"It will take root, and it won't be so tender when the dogs play on it," she said.

Maybe so, but Visconti can't understand why the department just can't leave well enough alone.

"It would be nice having it grassy again," she said. "But a lot of people would be fine keeping the park the way it's been, where it's half grass and half dirt."

If you go

What: Community meeting on North Sixth Avenue Dog Park

When: Monday at 6:30 p.m.

Where: Northwest Neighborhood Center, 2160 N. Sixth Ave.