Dog park committee postpones selection of possible site
Location will be chosen in early May
The dog park committee is pushing the designation of a possible park site to the first or second week in May, Councilwoman Sue Henderson said at the April 17 council meeting.
Originally, Henderson said a location would be chosen by March 28. But after committee members realized a few of the sites they had chosen were designated as redevelopment sites, the group went back to the drawing board.
After the group decides on a parcel of land, they will notify all city residents living in a 200-foot radius of the property, Henderson said. The committee will then hold a public meeting, open to the proposed park’s nearby residents and the general public.
The park cannot be established without a vote from the city council.
A landscape architect will create renderings and drawings of the proposed park, Henderson has said. Those renderings will be presented at the public meeting. The committee will also present a budget with suggested means of fundraising.
The group hopes to publicize the meeting so that all city residents are aware of what’s going on, Henderson said. They will also put together a website so residents can check their progress.
Last year, Henderson and others tried to institute a dog park at Library Square Park. A dog park pilot program was instituted through resolution in June 2012. The park instantly became a hot-button issue with residents coming to every council meeting to voice support of and opposition to a dog park in Library Square Park.
The city council rescinded the dog park resolution on Aug. 1, 2012, due to the public outcry.
The first dog park plan was formed by a committee made up of city manager Terence Reidy, Henderson, city resident Rachel Hirschfeld, local business owner Debbie DeLisa and Shade Tree Commission member Tom Pivinski.
The new eight-member dog park committee was formed after the council rescinded the original dog park resolution. They met for the first time on Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012. Committee members include Reidy, Tom Pivinski, Werner Baumgartner, Paulette Fant, Gail Finowitz, Gene Mignola, Leslie Ferrier, Debbie Delisa and Councilwoman Sue Henderson.
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