Important: Please sign this petition only if you are a current or past resident of Nexus East.

Background:
Some of us chose Nexus East for its unique feature: a large detention pond advertised as an off-leash dog park when many of us initially moved. This amenity, promoted up until recently, has been vital for our pets’ exercise, play, and socialization, significantly enhancing our community experience.

This Dentention Pond Dog Park was also a central part of our community culture. Every evening at 5 pm a dozen or more residents and their dogs would meet at the Detention Pond Dog Park to chat about life and their work, and let their dogs play. The residents looked forward to this, and innumerable friendships were cultivated here. 

Many residents adopted dogs because they saw how much connection and play their dogs would get at the Detention Pod Dog Park and the connection they would get as many residents at Nexus East work from home.

Issue:
In December 2023, Nexus East management restricted access to this pond, citing directives from the City of Austin (COA) concerning pet waste. However, we question the validity of these claims as other similar facilities in Austin remain operational as dog parks.

Small Dog Park

The smaller dog park within our complex is inadequate for the quantity of residents that have dogs at Nexus east. The small dog park:

• Becomes easily overcrowded
• Has an entry door where small dogs can escape from under it
• Often smells terribly 
• Is not clean and creates unsafe conditions for dogs because of sanitary reasons as well as unsafe conditions having so many dogs in such a confined space 

Dishonesty among management:

The management at Nexus East cited the initial closure of the Detention Pond dog park as something they had no say in:

"We received complaints about that area being infested with fleas. We reached out to a pest control company who can treat the area and, due to the area being a retention pond, they had to reach out to the city for approval to spray that area. Unfortunately, we were informed by the city we are not allowed to use that area for a pet park and that we are required to lock that area and put a sign up saying this area is not for public use. We were told that we they will be stopping by within the next 3 months to make sure the area is locked and has a sign on the gate." 

And we were then told:

"This is not something we are able to fix nor do we want this and not an ownership decision. This came straight from City Of Austin.  Since starting here in October, we stop advertising this as a dog park as it is not and it is actually a retention pond that is technically belonging to the city and drains into the sewer system. We have not said anything in the past as we know residents love this area.  I have spoken to the city about this but I was told if we do not lock it or do not put-up signs saying not for public use we will be fined. This was not something we nor Greystar are doing or wanted. Residents asked us to have it treated for fleas and this is the outcome by looking into it. We were not aware by us asking for treatments it would come to this."

When we, the residents reached out to the City of Austin, Watershed Protection Department they said:

"We did meet with our COA Law Department about this topic. We were advised to focus on the functionality of the pond and not to regulate the activities of the community. The pond at this location was/is in compliance last time it was inspected; therefore, our Pond Inspection section is no longer pursuing violation notices for dogs using the pond area. That all be said, the area needs to stay cleaned up (especially dog waste) and maintained to preserve the functionality of the pond. I apologize for the confusion and thanks for allowing us the time to work this out internally."

Additionally, multiple anonymous residents have shared that they have been told by Nexus East management that they do have the right to do with the detention pond whatever they wish, but that because residents aren't cleaning up after their dogs, they need to see "changed behavior" from the residents before considering opening it up which is a direct contradiction of what they previously shared.

It seems as though Nexus East (Greystar) simply doesn't want to deal with any issues that may arise from having a large dog park and therefore has blamed this issue on the City, even though the city has no record of that.

Proposed Solution:

1) Reopen the Detention Pond Dog Park at Nexus East to the residents and their dogs.

2) implement fines and a reporting system for non-compliance, building on existing policies by Nexus East management if dog waste and responsibility using the area is of concern.

3) Funding for Clean-up Services: Introduce a monthly pet fee to finance professional poop removal services such as Doody Calls, Poop 911, or Austin Poop Patrol, ensuring the area is maintained to city standards.

Other Detention Pond Dog Parks:

• Park 1
• Park 2

Call to Action:
We urge management at Nexus East (Greystar) to collaborate with residents to restore the detention pond’s designated use as a dog park. The ongoing restriction significantly reduces the value and appeal of living at Nexus East. Addressing this concern is crucial for many residents' decisions about lease renewals moving forward.

We would appreciate your support in bringing about a favorable resolution.

Please sign this petition to show that you care about our community and the well-being of our pets, and be sure to leave a comment explaining why reopening the Detention Pond Dog Park is so important to you!