Visitors to Lakewood Ranch may have bone to pick

When her daughter visited early in 2016 along with her dog from out of state, Greenbrook resident Mary Jane O'Keefe wanted to do the right thing.

Instead of showing up at the dog park at Greenbrook Adventure Park, O'Keefe went to Lakewood Ranch Town Hall to purchase the appropriate permit.

Doing it has left her feeling like she was sent to the dog house.

O'Keefe presented proof of rabies shots and other vaccinations, but she was asked to offer additional documentation since the dog was out of state.

"They wanted a document from the vet about all the shots," O'Keefe said. "I guess that is reasonable, so I called the vet and he faxed all the material. Then they told me it was $100 to use the park."

O'Keefe asked to see a manager. Her daughter's dog was only going to be in town a few days. She thought the fee was out of line.

Gary Glass, the director of community association services, explained the Paw Park rules to O'Keefe. Residents within the Lakewood Ranch Inter-District Authority pay a yearly $50 fee since their CDD fees already go toward supporting the park. Non-residents pay $100.

No fees for visitors of those who live in Lakewood Ranch have been established, so employees at Town Hall could only enforce the rules as they exist.

O'Keefe said Glass was very polite and helpful, and he went so far as to take a deposit and present her with a fob key for the dog park, eventually returning the fee when she brought it back. All was right in the world.

Then her daughter, Danielle Dunn, came back for Thanksgiving. O'Keefe again went to Town Hall hoping to put down a deposit for a key fob. She was told the earlier visit was a one-time courtesy. It would be $100.

"I was finished with this," O'Keefe said. "It is totally ridiculous. I was willing to pay $50 to use it two weeks a year. I live here in Greenbrook and it is a lovely place. But $100 is just rude. I am resigned to the fact we can't use the dog park."

Glass said Town Hall must adhere to the policies as they stand.

"The park mainly is for our residents," he said. "The policy is written accordingly. We have over 300 members and we don't have much of a request for visitors to use the park. (O'Keefe) is the only person who has asked to have a visitor use it. The need has not been there, but we could take it to the board."

Those using Paw Park last week said visitors do attempt to use the park, quite often in fact.

"I've had them scream at me because I won't let them in," said Lakewood Ranch's Kathy Casey, whose Havanese was using the park. "But I have to protect my membership."

"I do think they could charge a modest fee for visitors, something with a time limit and the requirement the dogs have all the correct vaccinations."

Cliff Kaplan works as a liaison between those who use the park and Lakewood Ranch Operations, Town Hall and CDD 4, which writes the policies for the park. "People call me president of the dog park, but I can't be president until I get my own parking space," Kaplan said. "I guess you could call me a steward of the park."

Kaplan said he has seen people without key fobs climb the six-foot fence and he always encourages members to let them know they must leave.

"Who is going to enforce that?" he said.

Even so, he knows people visiting the area with pets do try to get into the park, and he likes the idea of a vistors' fee.

"I think this is a seriously good request and I will present it to CDD 4 in January," he said. "It's an interesting question and I think people could be assigned a fob."

Grayhawk's Tom Olsen was using the park with his miniature chocolate lab and he pays the $100 fee as a non-resident, but since he lives in the area he uses the park all year. "It's steep, but it's worth it. This park (which covers three acres) wears this one out," he said, pointing at his dog, Bella.