By Conor Greene
The push for a dog run in Juniper Valley Park has hit a road block after three proposed locations there were rejected by a Community Board 5 subcommittee. With no viable locations having been identified within the Middle Village area, the board has suggested the new Elmhurst Park as a possibility.
At last week’s CB 5 meeting, Dog Run Subcommittee Chairwoman Kathy Masi reported that the three proposed locations in Juniper Valley Park – near the area along 80th Street and Dry Harbor Road dedicated for passive recreation, between the soccer field and track in the western portion of the park, and behind the roller hockey bleachers – had been rejected earlier this month.
“Basically, we had opposition from all over the place, including residents, community groups and civic associations,” said Masi of local reaction during a December visit to the sites, an event she called “one of the worst experiences” she has had during her years of community involvement. “It was just not a nice situation – I was embarrassed by the behavior of all sides,” she added.
The community board eventually voted to send a letter to Community Board 4 about the possibility of setting aside space in Elmhurst Park, which is under construction at the former gas tanks site on Grand Avenue near 74th Street. Part of the thinking behind that idea is since the land is still “in the process of being dug up,” it would be easier to construct on there, said Masi.
On Tuesday, CB 4 District Manager Richard Italiano said he hasn’t received the request yet and would have to run it by his full board before commenting. A spokeswoman for the City Parks Department said the agency is open to considering proposals for dog runs provided a committed group agrees to maintain the area and a funding source is identified to fund creation and upkeep of the facility. “Once these precursors are in place, Parks can consider the feasibility” of a specific site such as Elmhurst Park.
Still, the idea of using space within the six-acre Elmhurst Park didn’t set well with some board members including Manny Caruana. “I can’t believe we would choose to put dogs where we put people. There isn’t room for both there,” he said. An informal straw poll of the board showed that about two dozen members, or roughly half the group, were in favor in general of having a dog run in CB 5.
In an interview Tuesday, Masi stressed that the letter to CB 4 is merely a suggestion. “From what I got, it didn’t look like they had open arms, and that’s okay,” she said. “I wouldn’t want to impose something on someone, so if they don’t want it, fine.”
There are other issues to hammer out on top of finding a suitable location, including a plan for funding both construction and ongoing maintenance of the dog run, according to Masi. “Looking for a dog run [location] was a little premature,” she said. “Part of this is my fault; I assumed they knew what they were doing.” She has since provided the group with information on forming a nonprofit organization, but in her view “nobody’s done anything else expect come to meetings and say they want a dog run.”
Masi also said that the group advocating for the dog run has shrunk considerably after members found out that installing a dog run would mean the end of off-leash hour privileges in Juniper Valley Park. Currently, dog owners can allow their pets to run free in the park during certain early-morning and late-night hours.
For a location to be deemed appropriate, it would likely have to be in an out-of-the-way area not near homes. Masi said that while some advocate have pointed to the run in Forest Park as a possible model, she found that area to be “disgusting” during several visits there. “I would never advocate to have that situation in Juniper Valley Park,” she said. “Of every run I’ve looked at, the really nice ones have private funding.”
At this point, it appears the push for a dog run has hit a dead end, unless the dog run group can come up with a funding plan and an appropriate location is agreed upon. “I’m willing to see this to the end, but I’m not sure where the end will lead,” said Masi. “We’ll wait to hear from CB 4, and then decide what the next step will be. Hopefully by the next meeting we will have something to discuss and the dog run people will have their ducks in order.
9 comments:
Several points of clarification:
1. Any dog park built in a park other than Juniper Valley Park will not eliminate off-leash in JVP.
2. The Forest Park dog park was created from the old horse corral. It was never improved beyond some fencing. It is a make-shift dog park in many ways. To judge dog parks on that basis is unfair, at best, and disingenuous at worst.
3. There are very few privately funded dog parks in NYC, but there are nearly sixty publicly funded dog parks.
4. Most dog parks are in the more crowded confines of Manhattan; in close proximity to apartment buildings, schools, parks, office buildings, etc. They function well, are heavily used throughout the day, and –once built- irreplaceable parts of their respective communities.
5. For the most part, dog park usage is spread throughout the daylight hours with greater usage before and after typical work hours. This helps reduce noise by spreading out users over longer periods; unlike ball games that draw cheering crowds for extended periods.
6. Public dog parks are funded through various public sources: parks capital funds, councilmember allocations, and specific allocations championed by state legislators.
7. Volunteer dog owner groups form around these dog parks. They do not control their local dog park. Instead they operate somewhat like community gardens groups, little leagues, etc.
8. These groups help maintain their dog parks by performing regular light maintenance, seasonal heavier maintenance, fund raising for improvements to the dog park, and informal policing through group pressure to obey and comply with laws.
9. Well maintained dog parks attract responsible dog owners. Adults with dogs using public parks provide a bulwark against vandalism, rowdy behavior, and more serious crimes.
10. Dog parks are extremely attractive to seniors, the handicapped, and families with young children as many cannot oversee off-leash dogs due to age, physical limitations, or the distraction of children. These fenced areas allow dogs to play freely.
11. Dog amenities are highly desired by potential home buyers. A survey of 2,000± brokers, buyers, builders and another of 480brokers revealed that dog parks and dog-related amenities are among the most sought by buyers. These show that dog parks are increasingly important in tight urban environments.
12. Family-friendly housing and communities consistently have and retain among the highest home values within the city. Families with children typically want pets.
13. Chain link fencing and a woodchip surface would not be expensive. A dog park could be constructed relatively easily and economically.
14. Juniper Valley Park is a sizable 55 acres. It serves multiple, surrounding neighborhoods with hundreds (perhaps thousands) of neighborhood dogs. These taxpayers deserve a dog park; a dog park that is centrally located, properly sized, and easily accessible.
Kathy Masi's comments are both insulting and outrageous. Seems to me you should have a location picked out and approved before getting the proper funding and organizing a non-profit organization. Funding and forming can come once you secure a location. Who wants to fund a dog park that has no specific location! And to state that “nobody’s done anything else expect come to meetings and say they want a dog run” is a real kick in the teeth to the members of the JVPDA. These members not only fastidiously attended meetings for the last year; they researched and visited other city dog parks/runs, obtained sound advice and information from experts, designers and presidents of dog groups and attended dog park forums and meetings elsewhere in the city. When they attended CB 5 meetings it was with a well thought-out proposal in hand. Perhaps if a straw poll was conducted at the beginning of this whole fiasco and not after a year's time, this situation would have played out a lot differently. Obviously, since the Board voted 22-11 in favor of a dog park within Juniper,agreement outweighs opposition.
First let me say I have been to a few CB5 meeting over the last year. I was there the night Ms. Masi said she was heading a committee to deal "specifically" with a dog run in Juniper Park. Then the next meeting I attended I heard that gentleman from the dog group say that he was told to forget Juniper it will never happen. How does that help them, after a year of asking, thats what they get...forget your request, lets look somewhere else. I see Ms. Masi also says there is opposition from all over the place...well, I have never seen anyone stand up at a meeting to talk negatively about the idea...I have only heard from the dog group asking over and over again. This has been highly publicized in major newspapers as well as ALL of our local ones, and still no one felt strong enough against the idea to show up and voice their opinion.
As for the quote by Mr. Caruana, "“I can’t believe we would choose to put dogs where we put people. There isn’t room for both there” is he serious? Juniper especially, is a hugh park with plenty of room. And the dogs are there now and will remain with or without a dog park. So, doesn't it make total sense to have an enclosed, safe area for the dogs to play while at the same time keeping them away from people while off their leash? Isn't that safer for all concerned?
As far as them not knowing what they are doing, so what...it looked to me as though they didn't know what to do, so they were coming to CB5 for help and guidance but I feel received neither. To me it appeared as though they were being stalled, because the Board never discussed the request (as far as I know). It seemed as though they were hoping they would just fade away.
As for funding, I have done some fund raising with/for my job and we always knew for what and for where we were raising the money for. Which comes in handy because the people you seek funding from usually ask those questions... for who, where, what and why. So how you secure funding for something you don't know anything about, or if it will even be, sounds difficult to say the least.
I feel that they have been done a GIANT disservice and as a part of the community deserve more from their 'Community Board'
P.S. At the meetings I attended and heard them speak, I never heard ANYONE refer to the Forest Park dog run as a "model" for their dog run. Just one residents opinion, But I think they should have one in Juniper, it would be a good thing for the neighborhood!
My comment:
Several points of clarification:
1. Any dog park built in a park other than Juniper Valley Park will not eliminate off-leash in JVP.
2. The Forest Park dog park was created from the old horse corral. It was never improved beyond some fencing. It is a make-shift dog park in many ways. To judge dog parks on that basis is unfair, at best, and disingenuous at worst.
3. There are very few privately funded dog parks in NYC, but there are nearly sixty publicly funded dog parks.
4. Most dog parks are in the more crowded confines of Manhattan; in close proximity to apartment buildings, schools, parks, office buildings, etc. They function well, are heavily used throughout the day, and –once built- irreplaceable parts of their respective communities.
5. For the most part, dog park usage is spread throughout the daylight hours with greater usage before and after typical work hours. This helps reduce noise by spreading out users over longer periods; unlike ball games that draw cheering crowds for extended periods.
6. Public dog parks are funded through various public sources: parks capital funds, councilmember allocations, and specific allocations championed by state legislators.
7. Volunteer dog owner groups form around these dog parks. They do not control their local dog park. Instead they operate somewhat like community gardens groups, little leagues, etc.
8. These groups help maintain their dog parks by performing regular light maintenance, seasonal heavier maintenance, fund raising for improvements to the dog park, and informal policing through group pressure to obey and comply with laws.
9. Well maintained dog parks attract responsible dog owners. Adults with dogs using public parks provide a bulwark against vandalism, rowdy behavior, and more serious crimes.
10. Dog parks are extremely attractive to seniors, the handicapped, and families with young children as many cannot oversee off-leash dogs due to age, physical limitations, or the distraction of children. These fenced areas allow dogs to play freely.
11. Dog amenities are highly desired by potential home buyers. A survey of 2,000± brokers, buyers, builders and another of 480 brokers revealed that dog parks and dog-related amenities are among the most sought by buyers. These show that dog parks are increasingly important in tight urban environments.
12. Family-friendly housing and communities consistently have and retain among the highest home values within the city. Families with children typically want pets.
13. Chain link fencing and a woodchip surface would not be expensive. A dog park could be constructed relatively easily and economically.
14. Juniper Valley Park is a sizable 55 acres. It serves multiple, surrounding neighborhoods with hundreds (perhaps thousands) of neighborhood dogs. These taxpayers deserve a dog park; a dog park that is centrally located, properly sized, and easily accessible.
The best area in Juniper park is still the original area proposed betweeen the upper & lower ball fields. Dog Owners are not backing out because they would lose off leash, they are backing out because they realize that whatever the Community would agree to would be much less than what is needed in our area to have a beautiful successfull dog park.
Interestingly these self serving dog owners don't mention the damage a dog run does to the environment. They are still proposing a football field size dog park in one of the most beautiful parts of the park. They don't mention that their giant dog cesspool will damage dozens of mature trees, further erode the landscape and create noise and smell.
Bravo to Ms. Masi for standing up to these handful of delusional dog owners. We don't need a stinking dog park in Juniper Valley Park!
THE CITY IS THREATENING TO LAYOFF PEOPLE, CUT FUNDING TO SCHOOLS, CUT SERVICES IN EVERY AREA AND THESE DOG OWNERS ARE DEMANDING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS FOR A DOG RUN IN JUNIPER PARK. WHAT PLANET ARE THESE KNUCKLE HEADS FROM?
Gary- There is absolutely no truth to anything you wrote. Dog parks are not cesspools- just check those along the East River in Manhattan in very used parks that are much smaller than JVP. These dog parks are heavily used, well maintained, and considered vital to their respective parks. Or check Freedom Run in Little Bay Park where a one year test of the dog park resulted in a near-unanimous vote by the CB to make it permanent (something being done now).
Or check the landmarked trees in Tompkins Sq. Park that are inside the most heavily used dog park in the city.
There are over 1.3 million dogs in NYC. There are tens of thousands in our surround neighborhoods. The dog owners deserve a small portion of a 55 acre park. One acre (less than 2% of JVP) to serve thousands of dog owners throughout the day, 365 days a year. It's a fair trade.
Gary, offer no compromise, have no understanding of the issues, and are so set in your opposition to a dog park that changing your mind is impossible.
Phil: a dog park would require chain link fencing, a few gates, and wood chip surfacing. The cost would be minimal. I bet the Parks Dept. has the fencing and they definitely have the wood chips.
Funny, the CB came up with a cost for a dog park but where is their study? Where did they come-up with numbers? Anyone can make-up things. The interim dog park at Freedom Run in Little Bay cost a few thousand dollars. Even in bad times, that can be found (and the money spent would go right back into our local economy).
Kathy Masi now has her tail between her legs, sorry Kathy, some things are best left to the experts. You can't have everything you want.
Post a Comment