No Decision on Yorktown Dog Park Location Yet

A group of both opponents and supporters, that included a few dogs, came out to voice their opinions regarding the proposed Yorktown dog park location during a public hearing held last week in town.

About a dozen people spoke up about the latest proposed location for the dog park – Sylvan Glen Park Preserve – which was selected per recommendation of the Yorktown Parks and Recreation committee. 

As the daylight was fading during the summer outdoor meeting, town board members adjourned the meeting to Sept. 3 when residents will have another chance to come out and speak up. 

The outcome of the hearing would determine the approval of a wetland application needed for the creation of the dog park.

Negotiations and planning for it have been ongoing ever since the Yorktown Community Dog Park group was formed more than 10 years ago. The search for a location has been extensive and parties involved can't seem to agree. Officials have looked at some 30 town-owned properties over the years as potential locations for a dog park.  

The proposed dog park is located within an existing "classroom" area at Sylvan Glen Park Preserve, which was previously considered as a dog park location in 2008. The "classroom" area was designed by an Eagle Scout, Recreation Commission Chair Diana Quast told Patch, but the area had been vandalized.

The location choice has met some opposition by members of the Yorktown Land Trust, Advisory Committee on Open Space (ACOS) and Tree Conservation Advisory Commission (TCAC). Members of the Planning Board and Conservation Board have also expressed concerns. 

Some of the residents who spoke against the dog park location cited dog waste, wildlife and endangered species disturbances as potential problems, along with mitigation and the potential adverse impact of fencing. 

Another Mohegan Lake resident said he did not want to see an increase of traffic to the quiet part of town. Many of the residents who spoke out said Yorktown needs a dog park, but they said that Sylvan Glen was not the appropriate location. 

Yorktown Community Dog Park chairman David Rocco said opponents have been giving the same responses over and over again.

"'Yes, Yorktown should have a dog park, but not here,'" Rocco said is the response he's gotten. "They all give reasons why it shouldn’t be in whatever prospective location happened to be at that time, but no one ever comes up with a viable alternative to solve our reasonable request."

John Schroeder, president of the Yorktown Land Trust who expressed his concerns about the proposed location, said he was open to discussing alternative locations. 

"It's a wetlands permit [issue]," Yorktown Supervisor Michael Grace said. "I think conceptually, people don't want the dog park there period regardless of the issue of the wetlands permit. We will come back Sept. 3 and reconvene on this."

The public hearing was adjourned until Sept. 3. The town board meeting will be held at Yorktown Town Hall.