Nonprofit working to build dog park
BY JANET THIEDE ?• EAGLE-GAZETTE CORRESPONDENT ?• NOVEMBER 4, 2008
VIOLET TOWNSHIP - The Friends of Violet Township Dog Park want a place for Rover to roam.
So, the nonprofit organization hopes to raise $50,000 to help fund a nearly two-acre site in Pickerington to let the dogs out.
Carolyn Adams, president of the group, and her 30-plus committee members have been working since April with the Violet Township trustees to locate a site and develop plans for the first public dog park in Fairfield County.
''(Violet Township trustees) are providing the land and a portion of the money. They also have asked the community to raise a portion of the money as part of this cooperative effort,'' Adams said.
Currently, Westerville and Gahanna have dog parks. Columbus Parks and Recreation and Alum Creek State Park also have areas designated for dogs to run off leash.
Bill Yaple, director of operations for Violet Township, estimates the proposed dog park could cost about $100,000 to complete.
It will be behind the service building, currently under construction, near the corner of Pickerington and Stemen roads.
''We purchased this property three to five years ago. We told the city of Pickerington when we purchased it that we would never build on the south half of the property,'' Yaple said.
As a result, the township decided the acreage not being used for the service center might be an ideal spot for the dog park because it would already have a built-in parking area.
A landscape architect drew the plans for the park. When completed, the park will include a full chainlink-fence around the entire area, benches, dog watering areas, trees and paths that would make the park handicap accessible.
''It will be a place where people can take their dogs and let them run off leash,'' Adams said.
''Dogs that are well exercised and well socialized are much less aggressive. They bark less so it makes for a better neighbor in the community.''
Adams believes the park also provides people with a common interest a place to gather and socialize. She also envisions an educational component to the park.
''There can definitely be educational programs at the dog park relating to pet ownership, care and training,'' Adams said.
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Hey Billy - Who the HECK do you think you are??? You only think you own the city. Actually you don't. You may own a couple of councilmen but you don't own this city.
Just because you caught a break and built your new grease monkey operation in the city doesn't mean you can take the rest of the acreage and populate it with dog poop.
Hey Council - I hope you're paying attention to this. Don't you realize what Billy and the Bobs are doing here? They'll go out and raise the money and sometime later they will actually come to the city and go through the planning and zoning process to see if they can do this. Then if public hearings and the p and z process don't work in their favor they'll portray you all as dog haters and spitting in the eye of cooperation.
DON'T FALL INTO TO THIS TRAP!!!!
BY JANET THIEDE ?• EAGLE-GAZETTE CORRESPONDENT ?• NOVEMBER 4, 2008
VIOLET TOWNSHIP - The Friends of Violet Township Dog Park want a place for Rover to roam.
So, the nonprofit organization hopes to raise $50,000 to help fund a nearly two-acre site in Pickerington to let the dogs out.
Carolyn Adams, president of the group, and her 30-plus committee members have been working since April with the Violet Township trustees to locate a site and develop plans for the first public dog park in Fairfield County.
''(Violet Township trustees) are providing the land and a portion of the money. They also have asked the community to raise a portion of the money as part of this cooperative effort,'' Adams said.
Currently, Westerville and Gahanna have dog parks. Columbus Parks and Recreation and Alum Creek State Park also have areas designated for dogs to run off leash.
Bill Yaple, director of operations for Violet Township, estimates the proposed dog park could cost about $100,000 to complete.
It will be behind the service building, currently under construction, near the corner of Pickerington and Stemen roads.
''We purchased this property three to five years ago. We told the city of Pickerington when we purchased it that we would never build on the south half of the property,'' Yaple said.
As a result, the township decided the acreage not being used for the service center might be an ideal spot for the dog park because it would already have a built-in parking area.
A landscape architect drew the plans for the park. When completed, the park will include a full chainlink-fence around the entire area, benches, dog watering areas, trees and paths that would make the park handicap accessible.
''It will be a place where people can take their dogs and let them run off leash,'' Adams said.
''Dogs that are well exercised and well socialized are much less aggressive. They bark less so it makes for a better neighbor in the community.''
Adams believes the park also provides people with a common interest a place to gather and socialize. She also envisions an educational component to the park.
''There can definitely be educational programs at the dog park relating to pet ownership, care and training,'' Adams said.
=================================================
Hey Billy - Who the HECK do you think you are??? You only think you own the city. Actually you don't. You may own a couple of councilmen but you don't own this city.
Just because you caught a break and built your new grease monkey operation in the city doesn't mean you can take the rest of the acreage and populate it with dog poop.
Hey Council - I hope you're paying attention to this. Don't you realize what Billy and the Bobs are doing here? They'll go out and raise the money and sometime later they will actually come to the city and go through the planning and zoning process to see if they can do this. Then if public hearings and the p and z process don't work in their favor they'll portray you all as dog haters and spitting in the eye of cooperation.
DON'T FALL INTO TO THIS TRAP!!!!
