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Azalea Park
Revised & Updated 1/25/2002
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Azalea Park is located (map)
along the southwest border of Charlottesville on Old Lynchburg Road (about
halfway between Jefferson Park Avenue Extended and 5th Street). The park
opens at 6:00am and closes at 9:00pm year round.
Azalea Park has long been informally
known as the dog park in Charlottesville because large numbers of
local residents have exercised their dogs off-leash here on a daily basis
since at least the late 1980s. One can find a large (indeed, often
a too large because of the lack of alternatives) group of dog walkers here
every weekday afternoon after about 5pm, rain or shine.
City law does allow dog walkers to exercise their dogs off-leash in portions
of this park as long as the dogs are kept under voice control.
At Azalea Park, as in all other City parks, City code requires all dog
walkers to clean up after their pets. A poop bag dispenser/waste
receptacle is provided.
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The fenced-in dog run area (pictured above)
is located just beyond the softball field as you drive in to the park.
Within this small area (it's probably less than a single acre), dogs may
exercise off-leash. Because it is completely confined, this space is a
particularly good spot to exercise a puppy or well-socialized adult dog
off-leash that is not fully under voice control.
There is a gate at the far end of this fenced-in area that opens out to
a broader and irregularly shaped field that slopes down to Moore's Creek
(pictured below). Most of the people who walk their dogs at Azalea
let them run off-leash in this broader area because the fenced-in area
is far too small to accommodate all of the people who bring their dogs
to this park every afternoon. Moore's Creek forms the southern boundary
of the park.
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| The total size of Azalea
Park is 23 acres. The park has a softball field, basketball court, community
gardens, children's play equipment, and a picnic area. The overwhelming
majority of people who actually use this park, however, are dog walkers.
Perhaps because most of this activity takes place after 5pm, City officials
seem to be unaware of this fact. The recently prepared "Master Plan" for
the City's park system, for example, includes ambitious proposals for a
wide variety of highly dubious changes in the park's physical layout (e.g.
the basketball court would be moved from the back of the park to the front
of the park -- for no clear or compelling reason), but it makes absolutely
NO provision of any kind for dog walkers. Indeed, the "Master Plan" recommends
filling in the tiny dog run area with newly planted trees. This begs the
obvious question: why are Charlottesville parks being planned in such a
way that completely ignores the concerns and interests of the overwhelming
majority of legitimate park users? |
 Main
Attractions:
(1) It's probably closer and more convenient
for many in-town dog owners than Darden Towe Park,
or Riverview Park/Rivanna Greenbelt, the only
other place in the entire City of Charlottesville where it's feasible for
the overwhelming majority of dog owners to exercise their dogs off-leash.
(Even if you live very close to Azalea, however, you almost have
to drive to get there because there is NO sidewalk along Old Lynchburg
Road, there are numerous curves in the road, the road's shoulders are extremely
narrow or non-existent, and -- last but not least -- few drivers keep their
speed within the posted limit).
(2) Azalea Park has water -- Moore's Creek
forms the southern boundary of the park and provides a ready source of
drinking water and cooling off space for dogs. The creek is generally NOT
deep enough for dogs to do any serious swimming, but it makes a great "kiddie
pool" for dogs. |
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Moore's Creek at Azalea Park, before and after the
landscaping renovation project that took place from February to June 2000.
Before this project was undertaken, tourists used to come to Azalea Park
from all over the world to see the fabled "Red Cliffs of Rover."
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| (3) The park also has
a few fences which, though inadequate, are nonetheless very much
appreciated. Just beyond the softball field on the right is a fenced-in
dog run area. The completely contained fenced-in area makes it possible
to let your dog off the leash for some exercise and helps keep dogs from
coming into contact with those pathetic bipedal units who don't want anything
to do with them. The fenced-in area also protects dogs from the occasional
bipedal idiot who drives in and out of the park at excessive rates of speed. |
| Azalea is a good place to take a well-socialized
adult dog that is self-confident yet not aggressive. Shy or aggressive
dogs definitely don't do well in this setting. Azalea is also a good place
to go if you're trying to socialize a puppy or young dog. The most important
drawback of Azalea Park, however, is that it is simply far too small for
the large number of dogs who come here in the late afternoon Monday through
Friday. The fenced-in dog area is far too small for the demands placed
on it, and the problems that result from over-crowding are thoroughly predictable:
Dogs are sociable, but they do NOT generally enjoy being pressed together
in a small space (go figure). When crowded too closely together, most dogs
tend to play less and fights among some of the dogs are far more
frequent. |
Stuff
to watch out for:
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| The main thing to watch
out for at this park is other people. Sexual assaults have taken place
at this park. Widespread rumor has it that illegal drugs are often sold
in the far parking lot (by the basketball court and the childrens' play
area). The City police very seldom come by the park. There are no lights
and no public telephones in the park. We requested the installation of
lights (see below) and emergency telephones in this park because it is
a fairly isolated area, but the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board turned
down our request (see the Response
of the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board, July 16, 2000). |
A
few modest suggestions:
(1) A much needed improvement for the park is artificial
lighting. The City's present policy doesn't make much sense: like Riverview
Park, Azalea is open until 9:00pm year round -- but there is no lighting.
Unlike some City parks such as Meade, Azalea doesn't even get any measurable
indirect lighting from nearby street lamps -- because there are none.
In the interest of the convenience and safety
of local dog walkers, we have requested that the City install artificial
lighting at both Azalea and Riverview Parks at the earliest possible date
(see our "Statement to the Parks & Recreation
Advisory Board", June 28, 2000). In an effort to anticipate and accommodate
the concerns of the neighborhood's residents, we have asked to have lighting
only Monday through Friday and that the lights be turned off by 8:00pm
-- or at the 9:00pm closing time at the latest.
Unfortunately, City officials continue to oppose
the installation of lights at Azalea (as well as Riverview) park.
(If you would like to have lights installed at
Azalea and Riverview Parks, please write to us at jgr9a@cstone.net
AND write the City Manager Gary O'Connell oconnell@ci.charlottesville.va.us,
the Parks
& Recreation Advisory Board members, and Parks Manager Pat Plocek
plocekp@ci.charlottesville.va.us.)
(2) Secondly, the newly fenced-in dog run area
is far too small to accommodate all the people who want to use it. Traditionally,
the dog run area at Azalea has turned into a mud pit from late fall to
mid-spring; now that the dogs are confined to a smaller fenced-in space,
it seems all too obvious that the place will be reduced to pure muck by
mid-December if not sooner. The demand on this one small parcel of land
could be significantly alleviated if the City would just make more effective
use of the limited space that's available at Azalea Park. When you first
drive in to the park, for example, there's an open field immediately on
your right that stretches up to the softball field. It's larger than the
recently fenced-in dog run area, but no one ever uses it because there's
no fence to keep dogs safe from the traffic on Old Lynchburg Road and on
the park driveway. City government could take a very important immediate
and practical step toward providing adequate space for its dog walkers
by building a fence around this area and designating it as a second dog
run area within the park as soon as possible.
-- cityofdogs.com, Copyright 2000 --
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January, 2002
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