At last night’s Babylon Village Board meeting, the issue of the George Street dog park was discussed, but no action was taken.
In addition to normal business, the Board passed two new laws modifying the Village code. Both the law prohibiting the parking of commercial vehicles on Village streets overnight and the law requiring landscapers to carry out all yard waste they generate passed unanimously.
The board also voted to approve the donation of two, retired pieces of fire equipment to the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund for use by fire departments in Kentucky who lost their equipment in recent tornadoes.
After the main of the meeting was concluded, the floor was opened for comments and several residents spoke in support of the George Street Dog Park. First to speak was resident Kelly Morenus, who gave a long and detailed response to many of the complaints that were raised at the previous board meeting by the contingent from Whalers Cove. Other residents also stood up to speak in favor of the park, including a resident from Whalers Cove.
No action was taken by the board on this matter. So we’ll just have to wait and see.
Gary,
Your articles regarding the dog park are inaccurate and your intentions are disingenuous. You and your wife are members of the Dog park Facebook group and therefore you attempts to rewrite the narrative speak to your lack of integrity. Be honest with the community about your intentions or we will.
Please let me know what I’ve written about this issue that is inaccurate. I’d be more than happy to investigate and issue a correction if I have made an error.
I’m not sure what about my intentions could possibly be disingenuous. My intentions to support and preserve the dog park are fairly clear, I think.,
For starters, it seems as though your reporting on the first trustee meeting was done second hand, it lacks authenticity and context. The “small” contingent you cited at said meeting is not only subjective but deceptive. Your “reporting” is one sided, and your intentions to the general public are not clear as you do not state your position or affiliation with the dog park. Interestingly, you’ve labeled your latest article “opinion” while your first article seems to be under the guise of factual in person reporting. The small contingent was composed of 20 or so individuals, 11 of whom gave testimony, who submitted over 30 signatures from single tax paying village residents who live within 300 feet of the park. Each signature may represent 1-4 additional people, dependent upon the makeup of each residence. If you visit the park outside of the time we specified all may seem well. Each Morning from 8-9:30 am we listen to incessant barking. This occurs again in the afternoon for another hour and a half, until the park closes. This happens 365 days a year 7 days a week, even on Christmas morning. During the summer this can be as late as 9:30pm. Not one person, yourself included, would want to hear barking dogs for at minimum 3hrs a day. Again, your perception of the park lacks context because you do not live 30feet away. The resident who spoke first at this weeks meeting acknowledged the barking can be annoying/abnoxious and her home is over 400 feet away, the resident in whalers cove who spoke in favor of the park lives 500feet away. This should provide clarity as to the experience of those who, once again live 30feet away. Everyone is entitled to peace in their own home, now more than ever. Village code 79-4 clearly states the rights of residents in relationships to animals. We are dog owners, it has nothing to do with dogs or the people who frequent the park, this is a quality of life issue. Not one person in this village or anywhere for that matter should be put in a position having to endure 3 hours of barking outside of their own home. Relocating the park to an equally accessible area of the village would result in the exact same experience for dogs and their owners and would immediately restore the quality of life for the areas surrounding residents. Part of living in a community requires empathy, put yourself in our shoes, it’s easy to see why the entire whalers cove board and every single resident that’s within 300feet of the park oppose it’s current location. We appreciate your consideration.