Unilateral Extension of Prospect Park Dog Hours?

A number of years (how many is disputed) before dogs were legally allowed to roam the parks unleashed, Prospect Park in effect did not enforce the leash law between 9 P.M. and 9 A.M. on the Peninsula Meadow, Long Meadow, and the Nethermead; except that, during Eastern Standard Time and only on the Nethermead, they were allowed loose beginning at 5 P.M. The official off-leash rules allow dogs to be unleashed in "designated areas", city-wide, beginning at 9 P.M. only. But a friend of mine, who stopped a PEP agent the other day to complain about 20 dogs on the Nethermead at 4:20 P.M., was told by the agent that during the winter dog hours officially begin at 5 P.M. He corrected the agent but when he called 311 was told the same thing. I just contacted 311 myself and the following email ensued. I shall report any response:

Dear Ms. Lloyd and Messrs. Benepe and Olivieri:

According to the 311 operator I just talked to, who was reading from a screen, from Nov. 1-March 31, off-leash hours in Prospect Park's Long Meadow, Nethermead and Peninsula run from 5 P.M. to 9 A.M. daily. This was confirmed in a text message from 311 to my cellphone. The problem is that, as Messrs Benepe and Olivieri certainly know, and as I presume Ms. Lloyd knows as well, off-leash hours city-wide in the parks do not begin until 9 P.M. Indeed, since off-leash hours were permitted at all only by an amendment to the City's health code, which permits the DPR to adopt off-leash hours only between 9 P.M. and 9 A.M., neither the DPR nor any park may adopt earlier hours.

According to Prospect Park's website at http://www.prospectpark.org/visit/plan/safety, off-leash hours begin only at 9 P.M.; there are no "special" winter hours. Even (so far as I can tell) FIDO's website,
http://www.fidobrooklyn.org/ says nothing about special winter hours. Nonetheless, a Parks Enforcement Patrol agent in Prospect Park told a friend of mine about these "special" hours, so in addition to 311, apparently someone told PEP, in effect, not to enforce the rules between 5 P.M. and 9 P.M.

My questions are: (1) how did 311 (and Prospect Park PEP) get the idea that there are "special" winter off-leash hours in Prospect Park; (2) if indeed there are no "special" winter hours, which one of you will tell 311 and the PEP; (3) when you do so, could you please send me what you send them; and (4) if one of you thinks that off-leash hours may begin earlier, could you please cite me some authority?

Oh, and Ms. Lloyd, belated congratulations on your selection as Prospect Park administrator. I am a long-time Brooklyn resident, parks-goer, and supporter of Brooklyn's cultural institutions. I used to be a supporter of Prospect Park until I found that I could not birdwatch there, particularly not in the early hours when the birds are most active and feeding (and when I do not yet have to be at work), without being harassed, and worse, by aggressive dogs and their even more aggressive owners. I hope that under your administration Prospect Park will become a place that is open and welcoming to all people, not merely the handful of "middle class" and wealthy people who believe the park is their own private dog run.

Sincerely,