The idea of using the Little League baseball field on Railroad Street as a temporary dogpark got the thumbs-down from the Columbia Falls City Council at their Feb. 17 meeting.

A proposal looked at by the city’s Parks Board on Feb. 10 called for spending about $6,200 enclosing the field with a new fence along the east side and then installing a curved “home run” fence to separate the baseball field from the dogpark area.

“But there wasn’t enough room for dogs,” councilor Darin Fisher said about the board’s recommendation. “Rather than a Band-Aid solution, it would be better to build a good dogpark at River’s Edge Park.”

“We need to consider other things, too,” councilor Jenny Lovering said. “There’s the social aspect of dogparks — people meeting with their dogs.”

She called for more community participation.

Councilor Doug Karper said the home run fence “would ruin the park for sports.” The field is also used by Little Guy football and other groups. He also noted that the field has no shade and nearby neighbors could be disturbed by dogs barking.

Councilor Dave Petersen cited the community garden at River’s Edge Park as the model the city should adopt — a dogpark could be promoted, developed, funded and maintained by community members.

“That’s been my point,” major Don Barnhart told the council. “This keeps going on and on. I proposed the Railroad Street field for a dogpark to get the community interested.”

Councilor Mike Shepard asked about the status of the city’s “pit to park” property, a lot on Truck Route used by Plum Creek Timber for dumping wood waste. At some point, the property will be given to the city for use as a city park for the Habitat For Humanity townhouse project residents — or perhaps a dogpark.

“Supposedly, they’re done, but they’re dumping there again,” city manager Susan Nicosia said.

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality must approve the final disposition of the “pit to park” land, Nicosia said — including how the fill is leveled off and covered.

Right now, the fill is so high a dog could easily jump over the six-foot high fence enclosing the site, she said.

“We need to request a conceptual drawing from Plum Creek of what it will look like when they’re done with it,” Barnhart said.

“We need more public involvement for a dogpark,” Fisher said.