Yorktown Approves Long-Awaited Dog Park at Sylvan Glen Park Preserve

After close to 10 years of planning and negotiating, Yorktown town officials have approved the creation of a dog park, which will be located at Sylvan Glen Park Preserve, off Grant Avenue. 

"I am gratified that this long search for a dog park location has been resolved," Yorktown Supervisor Michael Grace said. "When I came into office [in January 2012], I found it inconceivable that, with so much open space owned by the town, a suitable location for a dog park could not be found."

Yorktown town officials approved on Sept. 3 a wetland application needed for the creation of the one-acre, fenced-in, off-leash dog park, which will be named Sylvan Glen Paw Park.

David Rocco, chairman of the Yorktown Community Dog Park - a non-profit organization whose members had dedicated themselves on finding a location within Yorktown where pets could run free – said he feels a sense of relief, satisfaction and accomplishment. 

"It’s a great day for dog owner[s],"Rocco said. "After a long nine-year battle to create a dog park in our community, a dog park to call our own, it was quite satisfying to finally get the necessary approval which was needed to make this dog park a reality."

Yorktown residents will no longer need to traveling to neighboring towns with their dogs to use other off-lease facilities, Rocco said. 

"Yorktown residents now can stay close to home and use their own," he said. "The dog owners now could possibly spend their dollars at Yorktown businesses as opposed to spending their money in the other adjacent communities."

Rocco said Yorktown Community Dog Park members will establish committees to raise the necessary money for park accessories. 

"We always have the opportunity to revisit any issues regarding the dog park, should they arise, just like we would for any park in the town," Yorktown Parks and Recreation Commission Chair Diana Quast said. "We are confident this is going to be a great addition to our community, as part of the diverse recreational activities and spaces offered within the town."

Rocco, who got involved with the Yorktown Community Dog Park group along with his wife Ruby in 2002, said there are a number of benefits to Yorktown having a dog park. 

"I strongly believe dogs need to run off leash for a variety of reasons," said Rocco, who has two dogs. "The most important is that they get the proper exercise they don’t get when being leashed up or contained on a small piece of property."

There are benefits not only for the dogs, but also it gives people a chance to meet other people, Rocco told Patch in a previous interview.

"I had read stories about other dog parks in the country that people have met at dog parks, develop a relationship and got married," he said. "I also read other stories where people were grateful for their friends they met at dog parks because it got them through some very difficult times in their lives."

Since Yorktown started its quest for a dog park in 2002, Rocco said 22 other dog parks have been created in a 30-mile radius from Yorktown, including the Beacon Dog Park and the Somers Dog Park, which are the latest two opening up within the past two months. 

What do you think about the approval of the Yorktown dog park? Tell us in the comments below.
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For further reading:
No Decision on Yorktown Dog Park Location Yet
Public Hearing Scheduled for Latest Yorktown Dog Park Location