When we received the March 8 Wednesday Journal, we were stunned to read that Washington Triangle Park (Park and Washington in River Forest), located across the street from our homes, is being seriously and urgently considered to be converted into a dog park. It appeared that this decision was being considered without the input of the neighborhood. The beauty and openness of this park is a key and unique advantage of living in this neighborhood. We have enjoyed this park being used for volleyball, softball, T-ball, picnics, Frisbee, dogs on leashes, people relaxing on the grass, etc. This would all be dramatically changed if Washington Triangle Park becomes a dog park. Once the area is used as a dog park, even limited hours, no one will want to use it for any other purpose.
Aside from the obvious objections to a dog park (noise, odor, safety, enforcement, traffic, cost), we do not want to look out of our front windows to see a fenced-in park. Although our real estate taxes would not go down, our property value would. Several of us have dogs and enjoy the pleasure of a pet, yet we feel strongly that our dogs should be walked on a leash. We do not expect a dog park to be an option if it takes away from the beauty of our existing parks and neighborhoods.
Vern & Ruth Moore, 22-year Park Avenue resident, Marie Klein, 10-year resident, Pat & Denis Murray, 31-year resident, Sue & Ed Spicer, 30-year
resident, Bernadette & Andy Hoyt, 1-year resident
