CINCINNATI — A project to bring a new dog park to Burnet Woods in Clifton has drawn criticism and even protests from neighbors and community groups.
Troy Miller, a resident who lives close to where the dog park will be, said he thinks the park is a bad idea.
“I do not have any problem with a dog park … (just) not in this location,” he said. “It's a small section of the community that is acting like this is beneficial for the entire community.”
While Cincinnati Park board members have approved $300,000 in funding for the 10,000-square-foot dog park, some neighbors are voicing their concerns about the potential damage that could be done to trees in the area.
“These beech trees are in danger because of their root systems coming out,” Miller said. “The park board won't listen to any of this. They're not backing out on their plans.”
A group held a silent protest last week and wrote things like ‘Don’t turf our parks’ and ‘Building community does not need construction.’
Jodie Zultowsky with Preserve Burnet Woods said she is concerned about the use of turf.
“They’ll have to tear up the grass and put in turf, which is made of chemicals,” Zultowsky said. “We know that they get into the groundwater and they last forever.”
Cincinnati Parks director Jason Barron said they share the same concerns about turf.
“We're in the park business,“ Barron said. “We really care about the environment. We care about preserving these spaces and keeping these spaces protected for a long time and so we're going to make sure that none of those fears come to fruition.“
Despite the opposition, the plan is moving forward.
“Opposition for the dog park isn't new,” Barron said. “There have been folks that have been against the dog park throughout the entire public input process.”
He said there's also been a lot of people that have been in favor of the dog park throughout that process.
“So we're going to make an awesome dog park that, again, I think a lot of people are going to really love and people are going to come and enjoy for years to come,” Barron said.
Cincinnati Parks is currently working to finalize the design for the dog park while community members fundraise. Construction will start later this year or early next year.
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