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Neighbors press South Miami to reopen dog park or acquire Elks'9 15-foot strip
Summary
Residents urged the commission to find a short-term fix after the Elks Lodge raised liability concerns and the city closed the dog park. Staff outlined options including moving fence lines, negotiating a dedication for 15 feet of land, or identifying alternative park sites.
Neighbors asked the City of South Miami on Tuesday to reopen a neighborhood dog park that staff closed after the Elks Lodge raised liability concerns about a 15-foot strip of its property overlapping the park.
"We noticed that they closed the dog park with only one day notification, which was a very bad news for us," said a resident during public comments, describing daily reliance on the park for exercise and social connections. Residents asked for a temporary solution — reopening the park while staff negotiates with the Elks or finds an alternate site.
City staff told commissioners the immediate options are to move the park'9s fence (making the park smaller), negotiate a dedication or purchase of the 15-foot strip from the Elks so the city can avoid replatting, or identify a different, larger site elsewhere in the city. City Attorney noted that if the property were dedicated to the public the Elks could retain a reverter provision and the dedication could avoid a costly replat process.
Commissioners discussed locating a new park in Veterans or Fuchs Park areas, and urged staff to prioritize a solution that would minimize impacts to the Elks'9 development rights while restoring park access for residents who said they lack private yards and rely on the public dog park.
