[BCNnet] Thatcher/Beck Lake Dog Park Update

[Jill Anderson]

I've pasted the full article on the Thatcher Dog Group's plans to seek an 
alternate site below. This is the article that Dr Nyberg quoted earlier 
today. It was published in Pioneer Press's Oak Leaves and Forest Leaves, 
probably the Elmwood Park paper, as well.
The article is interesting in that it refers to Beck Lake Dog Park as a 
pilot project, which is presently under review by the FP commissioners. The 
article states that a full report on Beck Lake is expected in March, and no 
add'l dog parks will be considered until the Beck Lake Project has been 
reviewed.
This is the first I've heard of a review.  I have no idea what criteria is 
being used to evaluate the effectiveness of Beck Lake Dog Park (money 
generated? complaints? demand for permits? ecological impact on water 
quality?) . I hope environmental impact is considered as part of that review.
Jill Anderson
River Forest (Cook)


Nov 26,2003
Thatcher Woods dropped from dog park proposal

BY HOLLY M. ANDERSON
STAFF WRITER
A group of dog owners seeking to create a new dog run in a local Cook 
County Forest Preserve have ruled out putting the park in Thatcher Woods.
Thatcher Dog, comprised of pet owners in Oak Park, Elmwood Park and nearby 
communities, had pressed for a location in Thatcher Woods. But now they're 
looking elsewhere, following a Nov. 17 meeting with Cook County 
Commissioner Peter Silvestri (R-9th) and Forest Preserve District officials.
"Site selection is our main objective now," said Oak Park resident Beth 
Kaplan, a founder of the group.
Fifteen dog owners, some of them members of Thatcher Dog, met Nov. 18 at 
the Oak Park Public Library to discuss possible locations for the park.
Thatcher Woods is too busy for a dog park, participants concluded. Some 
potential sites there are in a flood plain, with soil too unstable to 
support fence posts to enclose the park. And other sites are unsafe or too 
far from parking, they said. Forest Preserve District officials are 
studying a pilot dog park established at Beck Lake between Des Plaines and 
Glenview, and expect to issue a report on it by March. The district won't 
approve any new dog parks until after that, officials told Thatcher Dog.
"They are looking at putting together a policy on dog parks and are looking 
at multiple parks in the future," Erika Arett, of Oak Park, told the 
library gathering. The group meanwhile plans to meet with officials to 
discuss potential locations and setting policies on matters including entry 
control, such as installing a touch keypad. Thatcher Dog plans to present 
to the district a written proposal on the park, once the Beck Lake study is 
done, Kaplan said.
"We'll be working on this criteria for the next three to six months," she 
said.
"Realistically, we'd like 25 acres," said Linda Funk of Elmwood Park, who 
has been scouting sites for the group. "They'd like to put us by a freeway 
and we don't want an undesirable location or a site with a small acreage of 
land. Out of 68,000 acres of forest preserve land, we should be able to 
find something."
Nearby parking is important, Funk said. The group also wants a site with 
water, shelter and a rest room or portable toilet. Potential sites include 
locations at Belmont and Cumberland Avenues, Thatcher and First Avenues, 
First Avenue and River Road, Fullerton Woods East and Schiller Woods. 
Possibilities are limited to locations that don't cross a bike path, since 
a dog park will be enclosed by a fence. The group expects some opposition 
from neighbors and forest visitors no matter which site it settles on.
"Anywhere we pick there is going to be push back from the public," Funk said.
Arett said she wants to see a portion of the dog park include woods. "I 
wouldn't have started this whole thing if I thought we were just going to 
get a field," she said.
David Rhodes of Oak Park suggested the group look at locations south of 
Chicago Avenue, toward Riverside.
But Arett said Thatcher Dog wants to keep the park in Silvestri's district, 
since he's expressed support for the concept. The group has initiated a 
letter writing campaign to Cook County Board members.