By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
If Bowling Green dog owners are looking for a dog park within a walkable distance for many local residents, they may be barking up the wrong tree.
Bowling Green resident Thomas O’Brien said he does not object to a dog park in the city – but he does object to the site selected at Ridge Park on the east side of town.
“Kids’ play areas should not be sacrificed for dog parks,” O’Brien said during Monday’s City Council meeting.
After two years of pushing for a dog park which is more walkable than the county’s dog park on the east side of Interstate 75, a lease agreement between the city and the dog park group received its first reading Monday evening.
Under the plan, the northern portion of Ridge Park will be fenced in to be used as a dog park. The city would lease the land for $1 a year to the Citizens for BG Dog Parks group, which will be responsible for maintaining the site.
But O’Brien said the proposed dog park at Ridge Park would not be “walkable” by most of the dog-owning residents on the west side of town. He also noted that Ridge Park is the only city park in Ward 1, and as such it’s “indefensible” for more than half of the park area to be fenced off for dogs.
“Ridge Park isn’t appropriate” for the proposed dog park, he said.
The two backstops at the north end of the park will likely have to be removed for the dog park, he said.
“Is that fair to the kids and families that have use of that ballfield?” O’Brien asked. He suggested that people walk their dogs on leashes or use the existing county dog park in the county complex on East Gypsy Lane Road.
The proposed lease agreement includes the following provisions for the Ridge Park site:
- The Citizens for BG Dog Parks will be responsible for infrastructure improvements to the premises, including installation of utilities, fences, water fountains, walkways and trash receptacles.
- The rental cost of the parkland will be $3 for the initial three-year term.
- The dog park group must provide the city an escrow deposit of $3,000 to ensure that the facilities and grounds are installed and adequately maintained.
- The group will be responsible for continued maintenance and repairs, including litter cleanup, lawn mowing, snow and ice removal, line-trimming and the removal of fecal matter left by participating dogs.
- The city will pay all utility bills generated by use of the premises.
- The dog park may not charge for access to the premises, restrict the general public from access, or establish any fee for membership or access.
- The dog park group shall furnish the city with an annual report.
- The dog park group must maintain comprehensive general liability insurance in an amount of at least $1 million.
The city will continue to maintain the rest of Ridge Park, including the playground area to the south, the parking along the west side, and the grass around the fenced dog park.
Rose Drain, president of Citizens for BG Dog Parks, has pointed out the plans for two fenced in areas at Ridge Park – one for small and one for big dogs. She also frequently reminds that the county dog park requires a membership fee.
The park will have a card access gate. Those entering must scan a QR code available at the site, sign a waiver acknowledging the rules, vaccination status of their dog, and willingness to pick up poop. There will be no fee or pass required to get into the park.
