A suggestion to install a small dog park at Lions Park in downtown Sicamous was barking up the wrong tree as it would be cost prohibitive and too small a location.
Council received the request from longtime resident Lorri Chmilar in December and directed staff to research options, which operations manager Darrell Symbaluk brought back to the Feb. 12 meeting.
“We’ve two optional spots to put that .3 acres, it’s a lot for that small park so we’ve shaved it down to .2 just to show what that might look like. It still takes up quite a bit of space,” he said, adding the park has a bathroom, community garden and small playground which limits where they could put a dog park.
“I think there are some neighbours that would be impacted here too,” Symbaluk said. “And I’m not sure it’s a great place to put it... It would be a centralized place for small dogs, but there are some serious cons with it.”
Among those cons is cost. For the .2-acre size, the district would be looking at $20,000 in fencing and would be cutting “a significant number of trees” at 47, which at $800 each would total $37,000.
“Based on the budget this year, and this would be a new expenditure, I don’t think we have the money for it,” Coun. Ian Baillie said. “I mean, we could bring it to finance, have another discussion, but I think cutting out 47 trees is a no-go as well... I know a lot of people would be very upset with losing those trees.”
Corporate officer Sarah Kyllo added the district had considered the request around 2011 as suggested by the same resident but kiboshed the idea, as did the current council. A letter will be sent to Chmilar, explaining council has looked into the matter, but the cost is prohibitive at this time.
“Right now I think it’s, you know, it’s a pipe dream,” Coun. Siobhan Rich said.
