Kennedy Dog Park · Denver, Colorado
Kennedy Dog Park is already a valuable community space. We are asking Denver Parks and Recreation to evaluate four practical requests based on the firsthand experiences of regular park users.
Consistent, evenly distributed lighting should turn on at dusk, remain on through established evening hours, and shut off automatically afterward. Continuous lighting—not motion-activated lighting—would let people safely monitor dogs of every size, see interactions and uneven ground, and clean up waste. Shielded, downward-directed fixtures can limit unnecessary glare and the timer would discourage overnight use.
Because the existing shelter, seating, and community water are near the entrance, people and dogs concentrate around the gate. Another gazebo, pavilion, or comparable covered structure with benches farther inside would reduce congestion, move active play away from arriving and departing dogs, add needed shade, and encourage better use of the open running space.
Park users generously supply plastic gallon jugs, but jugs left in direct sun and heat—and repeatedly handled and shared—can create sanitation concerns, including conditions that may increase bacterial growth. Water may also freeze or run out. We request a permanent dog-friendly fountain, spigot, frost-resistant hydrant, or, if permanent service is not yet feasible, protected and insulated storage for community-supplied water.
Multiple deep openings, holes, cracking, and areas of surface collapse have developed throughout the park, creating trip and fall hazards for people and serious leg-injury hazards for dogs running at speed. Park users have temporarily filled some openings with available park soil, but this does not address the underlying cause. We ask Denver Parks and Recreation to inspect the affected areas, determine the cause, identify any subsurface instability, and complete a proper, durable repair.
By signing, you support asking Denver Parks and Recreation to evaluate and pursue the four requests described above. This is a community petition—not a newsletter signup.