Amenity Authority Committee members are hoping a not-so-subtle message will be received at “The Phantom Dog Park” behind The Villages Regional Hospital.
A small parking lot is being constructed to encourage golf cart parking.
Golf carts have been driven onto a grassy area near the pond which has become an unsanctioned dog park where people and their pooches congregate on a regular basis.
But last year golf carts did serious damage to the grass at that location. The AAC was on the verge of putting up a fence to keep golf carts out, but Hurricane Irma drenched The Villages and revived the grass. The fence was put on the back burner.
The AAC opted to put in parking spots for the golf carts.
The objection is to golf carts, not the people and the dogs. The dogs need to be leashed.
“We are doing this as a deterrent so we don’t have to build a fence. But we’ve always got that in our back pocket,” said AAC member Ann Forrester.
She asked that Community Watch approach the dog walkers at the location and make sure they understand the parking places are meant for them.
AAC member Don Deakin encouraged District Manager Janet Tutt to explore opportunities to send to spread the word about the new parking spots.