Layton walks back Eastridge dog park plan after fetching a lot of heat from neighbors

LAYTON — The Layton City Council appears to be pivoting away from a proposed off-leash dog area at Eastridge Park after neighbors objected to the plan. Instead, the mayor directed the city’s Parks and Recreation Department to explore alternative locations — including Andy Adams Park — and return with cost estimates.

 The city of roughly 88,000 people does not currently have an off-leash dog park. The Parks and Recreation Department had proposed creating an off-leash nature area along trails at Eastridge Park, which is still under construction, but the idea drew sharp criticism from residents who live near the site.

Resident Landon Bickley told the council last month the proposal would make the area unsafe and unsanitary for his neighborhood.

“Once the leashes come off, true multi-use end,” Bickley said. “This design doesn’t include families; it displaces them.”

Other neighbors echoed those concerns. Resident Shaurie Wade said she supports the idea of a dog park in Layton but not at that location, arguing it needs to be “in a city park with a big enough road that can handle the traffic, that does not put children, dogs, elderly, or anybody else in jeopardy.”

Dog park advocates, meanwhile, said they are frustrated by years of inaction. Layton resident Jennifer Shepherd said she has been pushing the city for a dog park for about two years. She is the admin for a Facebook group called “Layton Needs a Dog Park” which has more than 440 members.

“Layton is becoming increasingly very high density: lots and lots of apartments, lots and lots of no-yard housing situations.” Shepherd explained. “People with dogs have nowhere to take their dogs for exercise or socialization.”

Andy Adams Park, which already has completed infrastructure, emerged Thursday as the leading alternative. Shepherd said she suggested Andy Adams two years ago and it was flat out rejected. While she is frustrated with the timeline and all the backlash for the Eastridge plan, she expressed:

“If their protest and vocalization ultimately results in a dog park happening, I guess that’s going to be okay. It’s just been a very strange journey with city council.”

On Thursday night, council members discussed all the concerns brought up at the previous council meeting. The majority of councilmembers said they were not in favor of the Eastridge Park plan, with some citing the safety risks of off-leash dogs and the proximity to wildlife in the area. No formal vote was taken.

Mayor Joy Petro directed Parks and Recreation to vet Andy Adams Park and other potential sites, and return with cost proposals and additional details at a future meeting. Multiple council members mentioned that this does not mean they are kicking the can down the road, as some dog park advocates have suggested.

“My hope is that we can, if there’s consensus, move off Eastridge as an idea for the dog park but be equally as forceful in saying that I do want to find a place for a dog park in the city because I do think that there is a need for that,” said Councilmember Zach Bloxham. “Hopefully that is something that Parks and Rec can help us with on an expedited basis to get that moving forward.”

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This story was adapted from a radio broadcast script using artificial intelligence. Every story, including those adapted with AI, is reviewed by a human editor before publication to ensure that KSL’s editorial standards are upheld.