Rezoning for pooch parks?

In the battle against sidewalk dog poop, Miami’s Planning & Zoning Department is looking at creating mandating areas where pet owners can take their dogs out in new multi-family buildings.

The issue was raised after a resident of the Shenandoah neighborhood complained that some mid-rise residents along Southwest 22nd Avenue use her front yard as a “doggie park,” according to the Daily Business Review.

“The challenge is how we can assist with the problem pointed out to us, which is there are some pet owners that are less responsible than ideal whose pets actually relieve themselves in the front yards of other property owners,” Planning and Zoning director Francisco Garcia told the newspaper. “It happens, and we know it. So the point that we brought up today is in the case of higher density buildings, residential towers that allow for pets, would we not do well to provide for those pets to take care of their necessities on site?”

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Garcia said his department could propose a code change that would give the city “the ability to require it for any new multifamily residential building that is going to allow pets to then have on-site provisions for those pets.”

However, the idea is still nascent, and there is no scheduled vote on such a measure. [Daily Business Review]Christopher Cameron