Pets in Center City Garden? New rules are being debated

ASHEBORO — The Asheboro City Council may consider the rules for the future Jarrell Center City Garden at its December meeting. One of the key points the council will decide is whether to allow animals.

At the council's Nov. 5 meeting, Recreation Services Director Jonathan Sermon presented a draft of rules and regulations for the garden on South Cox St.

The current draft would ban all animals except for service animals. Sermon explained he and his staff saw a wide range of animal restrictions when reviewing gardens in other cities. His team chose to present the strictest regulation and let the city council choose whether to make it more lenient.

Reasons for not allowing animals include protecting the plants, which would be costly to replace. Fears of waste and roaming are among the considerations.

Mayor Pro Tem Eddie Burks suggested the council might not go with a blanket ban. “People who have pets will expect to walk their dog there,” he explained. “I think we’re going to hear a lot from animal lovers who want their animals with them. I’m okay with that, but I think they need to be on a leash.”

Council member Kelly Heath agreed and said the rules could include a stipulation that leashes can’t be longer than the standard six feet to help keep dogs in the designated walking areas. Council members Charles Swiers said they could add a rule to make sure the owners clean up waste. Mayor Joseph Trogdon, Jr. said the council might also limit animals to certain hours of the day.

Recreation staff will keep their comments in mind as they finalize the rules.

Rules to cover photography, rentals, banned items

Staff have proposed regular open hours every day from 8 a.m. to sunset. The garden will be enclosed by a fence.

Their draft also has rules proposed for photography. Sermon said that while anyone can snap a photo while they’re visiting, professional photo shoots would require a reservation. He said other cities have those rules in place to protect the plants and the grounds.

Professional photos could include portraits for weddings, engagements, quinceañeras, family photos, birthdays, maternity, homecomings, graduations, portfolios and corporate marketing. Photographers and models would be expected to preserve the plants, keep on the paths and not bring any banned items into the area.

The drafted regulations also include:

■ No vape products and glass materials such as bottles and containers.

■ Wheeled transportation would be restricted to strollers and mobility devices; no skateboards, bikes, hoverboards, rollerblades, scooters and mopeds.

■ No outdoor burning and open flames.

■ No metal detectors, alcohol, drones or amplified sound without express authorization from the garden manager.

■ No food sales or merchandise sales without prior approval.

Individuals and organizations would be able to rent the garden for special events. Rental requests would be made to Asheboro Cultural and Recreation Services. Along with rental fees and a security deposit, the city would require insurance and liability waivers and cap the number of attendees.

Temporary signs would be allowed with prior approval, and the renter would be responsible for cleanup and any property damage caused by the event.