Public Hearing Scheduled for Latest Yorktown Dog Park Location

The search for a dog park location in Yorktown might be over soon. Yorktown town board members are having a public hearing on Tuesday, Aug. 6 on the latest location chosen for the dog park – the Sylvan Glen Park Preserve in Mohegan Lake.

The outcome of the hearing will 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 town and state had previously agreed on a site for the proposed off-leash dog park – French Hill Park – but issues with several of the buildings on the site slowed down the project. Eventually, officials thoughts it was too much of a burden to taxpayers since the state wanted the town to take over 180 acres of land, fill a swimming pool, take care of the tennis court and buildings. 

About three months ago, the latest location – Sylvan Glen Park Preserve – was selected per recommendation of the Yorktown Parks and Recreation committee, Yorktown Community Dog Park chairman David Rocco told Patch. 

"I guess their feeling was this dog park situation has gone on long enough and here was a park that was seldom used that also offered the setbacks from residential areas and protective areas," Rocco said. 

Rocco said 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 classroom area [...] hasn’t been used in years and is in sad deteriorating condition," Rocco said. 

He and other members of the Yorktown Community Dog Park group want to convince town board members that the chosen area is the right location for the dog park. He said the area for the park's fence enclosure is far enough from any homes that may cause disturbances.

"It’s also far enough away from the wetland buffer that has raised some legitimate concerns," Rocco said. "We will also police ourselves and pick up after our dogs. We will actually be a positive presence at Sylvan Glen which will help reduce unsavory activity that has occurred there over time."

In addition, Rocco said the particular location is an "ideal site" for a dog park for handicapped dog owners because it would allow for easy access to and from the parking lot to the dog park enclosure.

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

"Sylvan Glen Park is a passive use preserve," TCAC Chairman Bill Kellner told Patch. "Appropriate uses are hiking, wildlife viewing and nature study. A dog park, especially one within a wetland buffer, is not compatible with these intended uses.

Kellner said the location of a dog park within a wetland buffer has the potential to "degrade water quality and sensitive habitat." He said he and the rest of the TCAC members are calling for a full environmental review.

"There needs to be a professional assessment about potential disturbance to wildlife and other environmental impacts," he said. 

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. 

"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. 

The opposition that members of the Yorktown Community Dog Park group met over the years, have slowed down the project. But Rocco said they've been hearing the same responses over and over again.

"'Yes, Yorktown should have a dog park, but not here,'" he said. "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."

He is tired of it.

"It’s time that a municipality that is 40 square miles which has plenty of open space, set aside just 2 acres for a 501c3 volunteer based membership organization with over 400 taxpaying- registered voters, get what they and their canine friend rightfully deserve," Rocco said. 

Kellner said he and other TCAC members support building a dog park in Yorktown and they realize dog park supporters have been waiting a long time to achieve their goals. However, he does not think dog park supporters have found the right location. 

"A number of more suitable sites have been proposed for the dog park," he said. "I expect that there will be some discussion of these alternatives at the August 6 public hearing."

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The public hearing will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 6 during an outdoor Town Board meeting at the Brian J. Slavin Aquatic Facility (known as the Shrub Oak Pool) starting at 6:30 p.m. 
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What do you think of the proposed Yorktown dog park? Do you agree the Sylvan Glen Nature Preserve is a good location? Share your thoughts and opinion in the comments section below.