Oswego trustees as a committee of the whole recently discussed relocating the village’s dog park to prepare for the future expansion of the nearby Public Works facility.
The dog park opened in 2023 at the northeast corner of Plank Drive and Theodore Drive on 1.5 acres near the Public Works facility on the village’s southeast side.
Initially the dog park was well received, officials said. However, an analysis shows there is declining use of the park. Even though there is a decline in visits, village trustees expressed a preference to relocate the site.
“The construction of the new Public Works facility coincides with the relocation of the existing dog park,” Oswego Public Works Director Curt Cassidy said in a report to trustees.
Staff has evaluated three potential relocation sites if trustees are interested in keeping the dog park open. The sites are an area near Venue 1012, a two-acre park east of the Oswego Police Department and a four-acre area at the Hunt Club water tower property.
“I am of the opinion we should keep the dog park but move it,” Oswego Village President Ryan Kauffman said.
The village provided the dog park as an amenity for residents and it’s not something he would want to take away, he said.
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Trustees James Cooper, Rachelle Koenig and Jennifer Hughes said they, too, were in favor of relocating the dog park.
However, the trustees had varying opinions on the potential location.
“I agree 100% we should relocate the dog park but be really explicit on communication about what the plan is,” Koenig said.
Some thought the logical locations would be the sites near Venue 1012 and near the Oswego Police Department campus.
“I took my kids to each of the three (potential) locations,” Cooper said.
The trustee said his two young children appear to like the police station location, but they did have to park a little further away there.
Trustee Karen Novy said she likes the Hunt Club water tower property site because of the larger four-acre area.
“I felt our current dog park was too small and moving it to the police station area would only add a half an acre,” Novy said.
Hughes designed the original dog park site as Oswego’s former Public Works director.
“The Public Works location was selected due to the availability of parking and the ability to monitor the site plus water was available,” Hughes said. “We always knew there would be the potential to move it. That’s why we used relatively cheap material on the fencing.”
The issue with the police station site is parking, she added.
The Venue 1012 area could be a viable site, Hughes said.
“But then you have to deal with issue of whether to allow dogs in the park during concerts. Now you have that other side issue to deal with,” she said.
The Hunt Club water tower area could be another potential site due to the availability of water. Hughes said.
“We are already mowing the site. In my mind, I don’t know that we necessarily have to continue to charge which would eliminate the cost to run a gate out there. I would open it up, build it and add a fountain later,” Hughes said.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.