But, there’s a possibility that the Skaneateles Village Board of Trustees will consider such a place following some research by a new committee formed. On Monday Dec. 28, Trustee Sue Jones volunteered to take on the task of getting a committee together to look into what the village would need to do if the board chose to put in a community dog park.
“I believe the proposal has merit and deserves a thorough hearing and consideration,” Jones said. “I am a dog owner and have seen dog parks work well in other areas.”
The proposal, a petition started by resident Terry Hickey, was signed by many in the community. In moving forward, Jones said she would ask many of the residents who signed to be part of the research team.
“I will pull in many of the signers of the petition, especially Terry Hickey, who is a village resident who helped to come up with the idea and worked to move the petition around town. I will also seek input from all of the trustees,” Jones said. “We will also consult with Matt Major [director of the Skaneateles Community Center] and any other interested folks. We would never move ahead on a project like this without looking into any liability issues, so the village attorney [Michael Byrne] will be involved.”
While there is no time limit for the committee, Jones said they will research other dog parks for as long as it takes to do a good job. But, while it cannot drag on for months, no building could take place until spring, giving the committee some time to do its work.
Currently, the idea is to look at Austin Park and where within the park a designated dog area could go. However, Jones said the committee will investigate other locations that may also be suitable, such as the Skaneateles conservation area.
“The petition includes a suggested spot that the group who requested we consider the park think is the best place,” Jones said.
While the closest dog park to Skaneateles appears to be the Wegmans Good Dog Park on Route 370 in Liverpool, Jones said she has seen parks similar to the Wegmans park work well in other areas. The committee plans to talk to representatives from Onondaga County regarding the park in Liverpool.
“We certainly will talk with the county folks from Liverpool. I have visited a dog park in Annapolis, Maryland with relatives and my sister in the Bay Area regularly takes her two dogs to a local park,” she said.
Since Austin Park is operated by the town, Jones said she is not certain if the village would need “legal” approval from the board but would not move forward with a project of this nature without consulting with town representatives. The committee will also be looking into liability issues should the village undertake the operation of a dog park
“I have seen these work very well in other areas, but know that there are some concerns for us. I believe that the proposal has some merit and deserves a full investigation and consideration, but am not saying that I want to see one built in our community no matter what,” Jones said. “We will do some research about how other communities have handled these and it would not make sense to not look into the closest park to us. The project would have to make financial sense and also not expose us liability-wise.”
