City residents give nod of approval to dog park

“We Need Your Ideas,” declared a hand-written sign posted at Thursday night’s meeting about a proposed dog park.

Then in smaller letters: “& Your $.”

Hopes of bringing an off-leash dog park to Lynchburg are still awaiting City Council approval, but supporters are already waging a battle for the community’s hearts and wallets.

An ad-hoc committee made up of city staff and residents is proposing to build a dog park in the Blackwater Creek Athletic Area off Monticello Avenue.

The money needed to create the facility is to come from private donations, according to the suggested terms, and proponents weren’t above dropping some broad hints in the interest of early fundraising.

The meeting on Thursday offered the public its first chance to comment on the park proposal. Attendance numbered around 30 people, excluding committee members and Parks & Recreation employees.

The group present was largely supportive of the off-leash idea, although many questions were asked about how the new facility would be run.

“Aggressive dog separation/protection?” asked one oversized sheet of paper used by organizers to jot down feedback.

“City staff onsite?” asked another comment. “Need live in city of Lburg (to use)?”

Concerns were also raised by Monticello Avenue residents about the added traffic that would be brought to their neighborhood.

Residents and city officials both agree the street is already subject to cut-through traffic created by drivers looking to circumvent a traffic light that sits just outside the neighborhood.

Last year, a community petition was submitted to the city calling for a traffic study to be done and heightened safety measures considered.

A study was conducted, but concluded no additional measures were warranted. The findings noted, in part, that the average traffic speed recorded was 27 miles per hour, just two miles above the posted limit.

“That’s a joke,” said Monticello Avenue homeowner Douglas Williams.

“You think it’s higher?” asked a member of the dog park committee.

“I don’t think it’s higher, I know it’s higher,” said Williams, as some others in the audience nodded in agreement.

Williams said afterward he was still in support of the dog park, but wanted to see it accompanied by additional traffic control, particularly increased police patrols.

Parks manager Andy Reeder said they would work with the neighborhood and city traffic engineer to address these concerns if the project moves forward.

“We’re not just interested in parks. We’re interested in neighborhoods, too,” Reeder said.

The dog park proposal is scheduled to go before City Council on Oct. 28. Officials will be asked to endorse the plan and pave the way for fundraising to start.

The committee’s recommendations anticipate the park will be a fenced-in site roughly one acre in area. Separate areas will be provided for large and small canines, and aggressive dogs will be barred from entering.

Volunteers, in addition to raising funds, will be required to monitor the site for a trial period of six months to ensure dog owners are adhering to the rules.

The proposed dog park has been described as a resource for the city’s pet lovers, as well as a means of bringing new life to a presently empty and underutilized park site.

The low traffic currently seen at the Blackwater Creek Athletic Area has opened the door to some “illegitimate” park uses, according to city officials.

Williams concurred, citing the elimination of that activity as one of the park’s major benefits.

“To coin a phrase, I’ve lived there for 53 years and the place has gone to the dogs,” he said.