[BCNnet] Super-sized dog park urged by consultant for FP

Wed May 10 21:24:27 CDT 2006

FYI - Randi Doeker, Chicago

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From: fpfriends at yahoogroups.com [mailto:fpfriends at yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of guarinodd at juno.com
Sent: Wednesday, May 10, 2006 8:51 PM
To: fpfriends at yahoogroups.com; Benjamin at fotfp.org
Subject: [fpfriends] Wednesday Journal, Inc. | Super-sized dog park urged by
consultant

Please read the attached article that appeared in today's issue of the
Wednesday Journal, our Oak Park paper. Note that the consultant hired by the
Park District of Oak Park is suggesting a "regional" dog park serving Oak
Park and surrounding suburbs to be located in Thatcher Woods-- namely
because these communities are NIMBYS and don't want the dog park in their
own back yard. He proposes forming a committee to lobby FPD commissioneers.
The Park District Board will meet next week (we will be out of town all
week) but it would be helpful to have someone give them a reality check at
the meeting - or at the very least call.  The proposal is admitedly a long
shot - but needs to be firmly nipped in the bud.  Quigley's new land policy
ordinance should prevent a dog park being located within the FPD.  The Des
Plaines dog park was grandfathered in with the condition that no other dog
parks would ever be located on FPD property.
Victor and Jean Guarino

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Super-sized dog park urged by consultant

HTTP://www.wjinc.com/main.asp?SectionID=1
<HTTP://www.wjinc.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&subsectionID=13&articleID=4577>
&subsectionID=13&articleID=4577
Web Posted 5/9/2006 10:00:00 PM 
By BILL DWYER 
Article : 

After seven public meetings and countless hours logged by staff and
consultants, the Park District of Oak Park appeared ready to turn a corner
in its decision making process for two sites for permanent dog parks in the
village last week. 

However, whatever the park board's decision in the next two to six weeks, no
definitively final decision is likely until next year after the master
planning processes for Taylor Park, Maple Park and Ridgeland Common are
concluded.

In fact, consultant John MacManus of Altamanu, a landscape architecture and
urban design firm, got around to presenting his recommendations for
permanent Oak Park dog park sites to two dozen people last Wednesday at
Stevenson Center, he told his audience that his recommendation was not a
specific park site. Rather, MacManus said, Oak Park and its neighboring
communities needed to approach the Cook County Board to establish a regional
dog facility on Cook County Forest Preserve property-preferably in Thatcher
Woods. 

Such a development, he said, would give dog owners in Oak Park and
neighboring villages much needed additional options, and would also obviate
the need for a dedicated park in River Forest. The park district there is
currently struggling to identify an acceptable site for its own dedicated
dog park in the face of severe space constraints.

When asked for a show of hands of those who would support an effort to
establish a regional dog facility, regardless of whatever local
municipalities did, all but two of 26 people present at Stevenson last
Wednesday raised their hands. 

Space, cost limiting factors

While he noted that there are several workable sites in Oak Park, MacManus
stressed that truly dog friendly areas featuring adequate space to allow the
maintenance of grass surfaces, as opposed to wood chips or concrete, would
require 20 acres. That, he noted, simply isn't financially feasible in a
built up community like Oak Park.

"I would love to stand here and show you the 20 acre park that I'm giving
you-with a swimming pool," MacManus quipped.

Ridgeland Commons was the first choice of the vast majority of people, said
MacManus, not for its permanent smaller enclosed facility, but for the
temporary Dog Park Plus weekend use of the two softball fields. The site is
by far the largest enclosed space available for running dogs, and is prized
by members of Friends of Oak Park Dogs.

"The overriding sense is that Dog Park Plus is a great thing," concurred
Commissioner Tom Philion the following night at the park board's Committee
of the Whole meeting. 

Taylor Park was a strong, though problematic, second choice, one which
MacManus termed both "a consensus site" and "a compromise site." Of all the
parks considered, Taylor was by far the most contentious.

Many people polled said Taylor was their first choice if Ridgeland Common
didn't have Dog Plus. Others flatly opposed any dog park there, citing
concerns over the safety of children playing in a nearby tot lot,
unsightliness and the fact that the park was designed by noted landscape
architect Jens Jensen. 

Maple Park, which runs four blocks from Garfield Street to Roosevelt Road
adjacent to Harlem Avenue, was considered the best site of all by MacManus,
both for its size (.31 acres), its location away from residences, and its
spacial relationship to the rest of the park layout. However, support for
the park was tepid during the public comment period. It was only after a
public meeting was held there in April that strong local support began being
voiced.

Sitting like a wild card in the midst of the Oak Park park board's
decision-making process is the master planning process scheduled for all
three parks in 2007. Several commissioners noted that the situation was
fluid. However, when Philion asked MacManus about the temporary nature of
any Taylor Park site, MacManus replied, "Put in the temporary facility, and
see how the master plan goes."

While acknowledging the concerns of parents regarding the dog site's
proximity to an existing tot lot, board President David Kindler said the tot
lot had its own flaws, including being too small and poorly placed.

"There's a lot of places where the tot lot could go," said Kindler. 

MacManus added that eventual master plans might add a soccer field at Field
Center, which, he said, could have "a lot of implications for Taylor Park."

In the meantime, demand for more dog facilities is strong. Park District of
Oak Park Executive Director Gary Balling said Tuesday that there are now 250
dog owners registered to use the existing facilities, with more on a growing
waiting list. 

Kindler said he wasn't willing to rush any decision, telling his colleagues
that if all the stakeholders in the dog park issue weren't yet ready in two
weeks, the board could put off a decision for one more month.

Regional park requires group effort

Noting that well-meaning and dedicated individuals have spoken with county
officials in recent months, MacManus called for a formal committee comprised
of elected and appointed officials from several municipalities to lobby the
county board. Such a group, he insisted, would have the "gravitas" required
to sway key county board members. 

Balling said Monday that the district is seeking someone "with the
networking ability" to lead that process, saying, "That's what we'll
ultimately need."

Among the municipalities Balling envisioned joining Oak Park and River
Forest in their lobbying effort are Forest Park, Elmwood Park, Berwyn and
Maywood. So far, he said, he's spoken with River Forest Park District
Executive Director Tom Grundin.

"A regional facility would be terrific," Grundin said last Thursday. 

He and the River Forest park board have been dealing with the task of
identifying potential sites to propose for use as dog facilities since
December. During that process that board has been faced with both vociferous
opposition and strong support for the use of park space on the village's
south side. 

At the River Forest park board's May 1 meeting, President Steve Dudek stated
his strong preference that the county provide the use of land for a dog
facility, saying, "Ultimately that would be the best of all worlds for
everyone."

"I think it would be absolutely terrific if there was a dog park in the
forest preserves," agreed River Forest Village President Frank Paris, who
added that he'd be willing to serve on any committee if asked. 

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