Posted Tuesday, February 20, 2018 7:00 pm

The Port Townsend City Council may consider moving an off-leash dog park that opened in February 2017 to a new location at Mountain View play field.

The city council had opened two new off-leash dog park spots at two city-owned properties after passing a resolution (17-007) on Feb. 6, 2017. One of those off-leash areas is at 35th and Thomas streets, and the second is at Umatilla Avenue and Holcomb Street.

Residents living near the new areas said dogs were running loose and causing problems, City Manager David Timmons told city council members Feb 5.

Timmons said he and Parks and Facilities Manager Alex Wisniewski met with Umatilla Avenue residents to discuss the issue. Timmons said that prior to opening the off-leash dog areas that the city had provided notice but that no one had paid attention.

“It reinforced I guess why we have to look at our communications strategy. Throughout all the meetings and discussions that we held, we’re broadcasting on a frequency that apparently nobody is listening to. So the entire neighborhood was kind of taken aback and surprised by the designation and expressed a lot of concern,” Timmons told city council members.

“Alex Wisniewski and I met with them so we are probably going to bring back a recommendation to you that we reconsider that particular property at this time,” Timmons said.

Most of the resident’s concerns were regarding the ability for off-leash animals to run off the city-owned property. As an alternative, Timmons said the city could designate a portion of Mountain View play fields that is already fenced and which has no immediate neighbors.

“And it’s walkable so it’s in a central part of town,” Timmons said.

The city’s leash law ordinance that requires dogs to be leashed in city boundaries.

Dogs are allowed off-leash at the off-leash areas and at the city’s tiny fenced-in dog park at Chetzemoka Park.

The Jefferson County Fairgrounds is owned and operated by the county, and dogs are allowed to be off-leash in designated areas there.