Minnetonka has set aside more than $200,000 to build two fenced off-leash dog areas inside Purgatory Park, but a group of neighbors is pushing hard to stop the project before construction begins. Diana Hoyt, who walks her dog at the park every day, sometimes two or three times, says the plan would permanently change a place she treasures.
The city of Minnetonka approved two fenced off-leash dog areas in Purgatory Park, a decision confirmed by 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS. According to the station, neighbors oppose the plan and have asked the city to find another location for the dog areas altogether. Hoyt told the station she believes the fencing project would harm wildlife and diminish the park's natural beauty, and she compared the size of the fenced area to 16 tennis courts.
A Petition and a Push to Reverse Course
Hoyt has collected nearly 400 petition signatures asking the city to reverse its decision, per the station's reporting, and she and other neighbors plan to keep pushing to stop the project. The city says it held a series of public meetings about the project last year, and officials maintain the dog areas were designed to limit impacts to natural resources as much as possible. Minnetonka has not yet bought the fence, according to the same account, and the city expects the work to be completed by the end of next winter.
City records point to a longer and more complicated path than a single vote. A city announcement from minnetonkamn.gov states that the council approved designated off-leash areas in the park's North section, listed as Area 5, and South section, listed as Area 2, with funding reallocated through the 2026-2031 Capital Improvements Program to install Type 2A wood post fencing. A separate city announcement notes that the council had already adopted an off-leash dog implementation plan for Purgatory Park in August 2025, alongside a no-parking zone on Stodola Road.
Confusion Under the Trial Setup Led to Fencing Push
The fencing idea did not emerge out of nowhere. City staff reported that signage and a corridor design had not produced consistent compliance after six to nine months of monitoring, according to reporting from citizenportal.ai. That staff report described recurring noncompliance and confusion among park users about where dogs could legally be off-leash, and several council members signaled support for a fully fenced solution while asking staff to return with refined cost and staging plans.
A later report from the same outlet says Council Member Kizzy asked the council to reconsider the previously adopted resolution authorizing fencing in the two park areas, and city staff said at the time that fencing bids were pending. It is not clear from available reporting what became of that reconsideration request or whether the fencing contract has since moved forward.
Residents Remain Split on Off-Leash Access
The debate over off-leash access at Purgatory Park has divided nearby residents for some time. A city survey found that almost half of respondents said they are at least sometimes put off from using the park because they do not want to deal with unleashed dogs, while the other half want to keep letting their dogs run free, as reported by the Star Tribune.
Earlier planning coverage from hometownsource.com shows the process once weighed five possible areas ranging from 4.7 to 10.1 acres, with no selection made at the time. That coverage put the preliminary cost for building out all five areas at $832,000, and estimated fencing alone at roughly $60 per linear foot, not including tree removal or earthwork. The city ultimately narrowed its choice to two of those five sites, Areas 5 and 2, for the project neighbors are now contesting.
