Denver has, in the literal sense, long past gone to the dogs. But as thousands of residents flock to newer urban neighborhoods in the mutt-loving city, the dogs joining them face an increasingly fraught challenge.
When nature calls, where can they go?
Even when a large park is a short walk away, the answer for some full-bladdered dogs and their apartment- and condo-dwelling owners is the patch of green nearest to their building’s front door. Two neighborhoods that have sprouted high-rises on former rail yards between Union Station and the South Platte River are facing particularly acute threats to their street-side trees, grass and other vegetation.
“Our dogs and owners don’t quite get to the dog park or to the park in time, and boy, I’ll tell you – that patch of grass on the corner is under siege,” said Don Cohen, the president of the Riverfront Park Association.
This summer, the neighborhoods are launching separate pilot projects that will aim to keep dogs from raising a leg or squatting too close to trees and other landscaping along the streets.
Amy Cara, the president of the Central Platte Valley Metropolitan District, which oversees most public spaces northwest of Union Station, estimates that roughly 1,200 dogs soon will be among the occupants of the roughly 3,000 apartments and other residences that have been built or are under construction.
Add in the riverfront area on the other side of the freight railroad tracks, and the dog-census estimate is well over 2,000 — all packed into fewer than 20 blocks.
Cohen said the Riverfront Park organization spends about $30,000 a year to replace urine-ravaged sod. The worry is that trees could begin dying after prolonged assaults.
The projects in both neighborhoods are likely to result in the installation of short fencing to protect green spaces and possibly raised planter boxes in some locations. Advocates also plan outreach campaigns nudging residents to abide by pet restrictions, and they will evaluate the need for more designated piddle places.
One idea that has been raised for the Union Station area, but not yet embraced, is converting street parking spaces to dog areas.
Cara acknowledged that the need for more dog-friendly spaces was real.
Even in the Riverfront Park area, where every building is a short walk from the 30-acre Commons Park and the dirt-patch Railyard Dog Park, wayward dog urination is a challenge.
There are even fewer options for the Union Station neighborhood’s recently arrived dog owners, although some buildings provide small dog runs. Taking the brunt of dog urination — despite posted signs marking all the vegetated space as off-limits — are small landscaped areas along the street and in the 17th Street Gardens, an area built atop the Regional Transportation District’s underground bus terminal.
Oliver, a 4-year-old golden retriever, is a pro at holding it until he reaches Commons Park, said his owner, Jessica Forrest.
“He’s lived in apartments his whole life, so he knows where’s OK to go and where is not,” said Forrest, 26, who moved to the Union Station neighborhood last year from another part of the city. She and Oliver were returning to her Chestnut Place apartment on a walk Wednesday night.
But it took awhile for Forrest to make the park a part of Oliver’s routine. “Actually, when I first moved here,” she said, “I did find it a bit challenging because really the only green space (on this side of the tracks) was right over here by the Whole Foods (on 17th Street). And they put up all the signs saying they didn’t want us actually using it.”
Plenty have ignored those signs. The toxicity of urine is the main concern, since the owners generally bag up the solid waste deposited by their pets.
“The idea is that you can’t just say ‘no’ to dogs and be like, ‘OK, there’s no place for you,’ ” said Cara, who also is managing partner of the Denver office of East West Partners, a major developer in the area. “But we do need to protect the trees, or we won’t have trees. We need to make sure there is an alternate place to go, because most dogs will not go on the sidewalk.”
Both the Riverfront Park group and the Central Platte Valley district have hired contractors to research options tried out in urban neighborhoods in Chicago, New York City and elsewhere.
“We know that this answer is probably going be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars over time to come up with a solution,” Cohen said.
Cara referred to the dog challenge as an unforeseen consequence of new development.
But in dog-loving Denver — where four-pawed companions are a common sight on brewery patios and most any place that allows them — should it have been a surprise?
The city’s Department of Public Health and Environment counts only 28,337 active dog licenses citywide, but a spokeswoman said a small fraction of owners actually buy licenses. Based on a commonly used pet-ownership formula, the department estimates that Denver has 89,144 dog-owning households, with an estimated dog population of nearly 143,000.
Downtown high-rise dwellers are among the likeliest dog owners. On average, residents like those moving near Union Station are younger, more affluent and less likely to have children, according to a report released this week by the Downtown Denver Partnership.
Cara mentioned the dog challenge during a Wednesday event at which the report was unveiled.
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Across the river in Highland, managers of newer midrise apartment buildings have dealt with a similar pooch-pee challenge. The favored solution has been to replace brown-spotted grass with AstroTurf, although that can result in strong stenches on hot days unless the turf is frequently hosed down.
That option, for now, has gained little appeal in Riverfront Park and Union Station, with the neighborhood groups favoring protective measures that preserve real vegetation.
In the blocks near Union Station, the pilot project probably will include modifying up to a dozen landscaped sidewalk areas near apartment buildings by taking a hybrid approach, said Todd Wenskoski of Livable Cities Studio, which is advising Cara’s group.
Plans call for planting shrubs around the trees, surrounded by low fences similar to what the New York City parks department uses. But he says a crushed-stone surface will surround the fencing — a plan intended to provide a hospitable space for dogs in need of relief, while protecting the trees.
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