About Friends of Fleet Peeples Park

• Q. What is the Friends of Fleet Peeples Park, Inc.?
  A. The Friends of Fleet Peeples Park, Inc. is a non-profit corporation which was formed to assist in the perpetuation of the designation of Fleet Peeples Park as a Dog Friendly Off Leash Park.
• Q. Why was Friends of Fleet Peeples Park, Inc. formed?
  A. The association was formed as a result of the public hearings which were held by the City Parks and Recreation Board in June of 2001. The purpose of the hearings were to discuss the number of users which had grown substantially as a result of newspaper publicity and to review several complaints which had been lodged by citizens over the "shared" use of the park with dogs. After the hearing, we learned several other city parks in Winter Park had associations working with the Parks and Recreation Department for the betterment and enjoyment of the facilities by the users. It was suggested that people who use Fleet Peeples Park for their dog's recreation should form an organization to represent their desire to retain the dog friendly park in Winter Park in cooperation with the Parks and Recreation Department. Following up on this suggestion, we contacted several other successful dog friendly parks in other parts of the United States and learned they formed non-profit associations to represent their users and to assist in administration, upkeep, and improvement of their off leash parks. A steering Committee was then formed to create the Friends of Fleet Peeples Park, Inc.
• Q. Who was Fleet Peeples?
  A. Fleet Peeples was an extraordinary resident of Winter Park who devoted his life to teaching the children of Winter Park swimming and water safety. He was well known for his love of the outdoors and animals.
• Q. Are we in danger of losing the Park?
  A. The "Dog Friendly" status of Fleet Peeples Park has been approved by the Parks and Recreation Board as an off leash park during posted hours effective March 1, 2006.
• Q. What will the money collected by the Association be used for?
  A. To provide information to the park users, postage, and to purchase supplies for the park. We also plan to raise funds to make improvements to the park for the comfort and safety of the users and their dogs.
• Q. What kind of improvements?
  A. Improvements and suggestions have included:
  *Fencing the perimeter of the park to protect the dogs from the cars in the driveways and parking areas.
  * Installed January 2004 at a cost of $12,000 and repaired after Hurricane Charley (a cost of $5,205)
  * Providing drinking fountains for the dogs. (Two combination dog-people fountains installed December 2006 at a cost of $5,000.)
  * Construction of a floating dock inside the play area of the park away from the boat ramp and docks.
  . * Bulletin board to keep users informed of park rules and organizational events. (Rebuilt after Hurricane Charley in 2006 for $1,500.)
  * Maintaining poop stands with scoopers and bags for disposal of waste.
  * Construction of a time-out area to diffuse aggressive behavior, if needed.
• Q. What will happen to the money collected in the event Fleet Peeples Park loses its dog friendly status?
  A. One of the Missions of this association is to assist in the establishment of other Dog Friendly Parks in the Central Florida Area. In the event Fleet Peeples is no longer a dog friendly park, the association will continue to exist to establish an alternate dog friendly recreation area. However, if the association does dissolve for any reason all monies will either be returned to the donors, if possible, or donated to a qualified non-profit animal welfare charity.
• Q. Will The Association "Make" or "Enforce Rules" for the users of the Park?
  A. No, the association's role will be to educate the users on the rules of the park through newsletters, signage and meetings. The enactment of rules, regulations and restrictions is done by the City of Winter Park Parks and Recreation Board. The enforcement of the rules is by the Park Rangers and Winter Park Police Department. The FFPP representatives will regularly meet with the Parks Department and Board to keep abreast of changes, plans and new rules and to give them input from the park users.
• Q. Is the park only open to Winter Park residents?
  A. No, the park is open to the public. For this reason it is very important users understand the rules, regulations and proper dog park etiquette for Fleet Peeples Park.
• Q. Who can be a member and what is expected of them?
  A. Membership is open to anyone - dog user or not. We hope that members will participate in maintaining the park and serving on the different committees and association positions.
• Q. Will I have to be a member of the Association to be able to use the park?
  A. No, but without your help, cooperation and support we may not be able to continue to persuade the City of Winter Park to allow Fleet Peeples Park to remain dog friendly. Join today - your dog(s) will love you for it!