by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
In an effort to, “fix the problem before it becomes a big problem,” representatives from Downtown Vision, Inc. say they plan to make it easier for area residents to clean up after their pets.
Residential developments including the W.A. Knight Building, 11E and the Parks at the Cathedral will be outfitted this week with disposable bag dispensers at their main exits. One will also be installed at Independent Square, where many dog walkers are said to frequent.
“It’s our way of making it easier for pet owners downtown to obey the law,” said DVI spokesperson Lyn Briggs.
Each is filled with 2,000 bags paid for by DVI. Refills will be a property owner expense.
According to the City’s ordinance code, those found guilty of not cleaning up after their pets on private property can be fined up to $40.
“That’s a not a new law and it’s in effect all over the city, downtown included,” said Briggs. “We’re sensitive to the fact that their aren’t a lot of options right now downtown, but we still have to uphold the law.”
DVI’s Amy Harrell helped coordinate much of the program, which also includes identifying green space downtown that is suitable for pets to use.
Harrell said she has been in regular contact with residential property management about finding a long term solution for pet sanitation woes.
“There have been complaints, so we knew we needed to do something about it,” she said.
Many of those complaints, she said, came from Independent Square management. The main issue centered around the many pet owners who regularly use the small patch of grass at May and Main, a small piece of property owned by the building.
“It’s understandable,” Harrell said, “because we’re talking about every pet owner using the same little piece of land. That’s part of the reason we installed a dispenser on their property.”
Helping to find more usable and publicly owned land is City Council member Suzanne Jenkins. Jenkins has met with DVI several times in the past to address that issue.
“We’re really just getting started but I think this is something we should be looking into while we’re still ahead of the curve,” she said. “Our residential market is just starting to grow downtown so this really is the perfect time to look at it.”
According to current figures, downtown is home to just over 1,500 residents. That number is expected to rise considerably as the Carlington, the Peninsula and, eventually, others bring thousands more into the area.
Jenkins hasn’t filed any legislation to acquire more land but she said the City’s laws regarding pet sanitation violations will have to be enforced in the mean time.
“It’s good that we’re doing something and I do think the bags are a good idea,” she said. “However, the law is the law. Until we have more options, it’s going to be up to the pet owners to pick up after their pets in the limited space provided for them.”