Lakewood vs. RR: Battle for Dog Park

David Lay · Post by **David Lay** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 7:30 pm

http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.a ... ryid=71768

c. dawson · Post by **c. dawson** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 7:40 pm

Here's the email I got from the Friends of the Lakewood Dog Park:

"I just wanted to let you know that the city of Rocky River has filed a lawsuit to close the Lakewood Dog Park . The trial date is August 8 or the 15th. I will update you as news comes and let you know ways you can help to keep the dog park open! Mayor George is willing to fight this but he may need our help. We specially may need the help of Rocky River residents who enjoy our park to volunteer to testify on our behalf! Again, I will let you know of any updates.

Thank you for your support!

August Armstrong

President, Friends of the Lakewood Dog Park"

Nice, huh? Lakewood has a wonderful resource that is HEAVILY used, and a bunch of twits in 'River want it closed down ... and since it's in Lakewood and they have no power to close it down (and I am very willing to bet that it's just a very small group of people who want it closed), they're going to court. The good of the few outweighs the good of the many, apparently.

Okay Mayor George, let's see the amount of fight that you and council puts up! Put those dog-haters in their place!

David Lay · Post by **David Lay** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 7:43 pm

My guess is that it's a very small group as well...

Phil Florian · Post by **Phil Florian** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 7:49 pm

My vote for Mayor rests entirely on Mayor George's intervention in this process. Good luck!

Seriously though (and I am only half joking

), what are the legal underpinnings of this? I thought there were decibel level tests done already that showed there is no way that the sound of dogs barking could reach even the closest house up the hill, let alone a series of homeowners?

How do they test the smell issue?

Mike Deneen · Post by **Mike Deneen** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 8:01 pm

I have spent extensive amounts of time in the park, and have never heard much barking. In fact, the park is completely silent the vast majority of the time. If you don't believe me, feel free to visit the place.

Jim DeVito · Post by **Jim DeVito** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 8:26 pm

Daniel Lenhart · Post by **Daniel Lenhart** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 8:11 am

Well, this is JUST great! I've got a back yard the size of a postage stamp, I can't take my dog to any of Lakewood's parks for a run, and now the last place left (and the one place in Lakewood that really isn't within walking distance) is being threatened!

Not that I'm advocating this in any way, but if RR ends up shutting our dog park down, I foresee many of their residents with flaming doggie doo bags on their front porches!

Stephen Eisel · Post by **Stephen Eisel** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 8:56 am

I heard that Michael Vic is opening up a dog park...

Joe Whisman · Post by **Joe Whisman** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 9:21 am

Let's triple the size of the dog park then maybe Rock River will build the wall.

Jennifer Desilets · Post by **Jennifer Desilets** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 9:35 am

I spoke with the Mayor last evening at the Lakewood Historical Society Fundraiser (which was a great event). He told be that there is legal precedent to support our case and the city has noise testing results as evidence BUT he qualified this by saying that things could go either way.
By the way it is, not a group of 10-15 RR residents - there have only been 6 complaints! It is the personal mission of one RR councilman and a handful of his constituents. I personally think we should start walking our dogs in his front yard - and that woman who was on channel 3 news!

A group of volunteers from the dog park and CCLAS (the Lakewood Animal Shelter) will be on a petition campaign this weekend - please look for us at the dog park or knocking on doors.

Whether you like dogs or not the dog park is a great asset to Lakewood. It serves the needs of residents with "postage stamp yards" and apartment dwellers. It is a meeting place of a number of breed specific dog clubs and hosts events for the Rocky River Nature Center. It is a small patch of gravel that is on the property of a waste treatment plant - we're not talking prime real estate. The park is funded by private donations and maintained by volunteers - it's impact on the city budget is minimal.

If any of you have friend in RR that use the dog park - please ask them to speak up - we need all the help we can get !

Jim O'Bryan · Post by **Jim O'Bryan** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 1:16 pm

All

I have to think I am the closest person to the dogpark on this board, and closer than most in Rocky River.

The barking is not coming from the dog park.

It comes from when they put a new dog in the animal shelter, and has been that way a long time before the dog park was built.

To my knowledge most of this comes from one disgruntled citizen that is about two blocks from the dog park but has become the squeaky wheel.

I have walked the streets around the dog park in Rocky River last year and could not find one person to go on record or even complain.

FWIW

.

c. dawson · Post by **c. dawson** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 3:03 pm

Might be good for the Observer to do a story and interview some of the folks on the RR side to hear what they say ... if they live right above the dog park and say they don't hear anything, then it helps Lakewood's case!

Jennifer Desilets · Post by **Jennifer Desilets** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 3:11 pm

Excellent idea - we could use some good press!

The Channel 3 coverage said that the complaints were about noise, smell and dog bites. Smell! The park in on the property of the waste treatment plant! As for dog bites - there have been none reported. If you are afraid of being bitten by a dog I would recommend against hanging out in dog parks, but then again dogs are everywhere, perhaps they should be banned from all public places!

Sorry for the rant, but this whole thing is really bumming me out!

Ivor Karabatkovic · Post by **Ivor Karabatkovic** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 11:37 pm

the people of RR don't have anything better to do...really.

they call town meetings/votes for things like a renovation of a house that exceeds the building code by 2 feet.

it's not necessarily a bad thing that they don't have much to meet about in city hall over there... but it must be a dry month for them to be complaining about this.

my first job was in RR. never again

ryan costa · Post by **ryan costa** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 7:33 am

There is an abundance of open field space at the Cain park by the lake, and the big Madison Park. A designated dog enclosure would fit in either location. A dog park would be more accessible at either location. There is even parking available, and it is a closer walk for a greater portion of the population.