Recently, this blog hosted a guest post from a dog owner upset about the riparian buffers and grow zones blocking both access and view of the creeks. Also recently, I announced my new identity as park ranger, actually walking the parks on a regular basis. I can tell you that the dog owners love their four legged companions, the companions have healthy digestive systems, but not all owners are good at picking up their companion's deposits. All regular park walkers know that they must watch where they're stepping. Before Greg Weitzel left with his $million dollar resume, in addition to the Destination Water Park, he commissioned plans for a Destination Dog Park. Local environmental coalitions are not happy about the location, the park borders Trout Creek. Intentionally programming doggie deposits into our waterways is not considered
Best Practice. As an advocate for preserving the historic features in our park system, I was disappointed to see both the park department, and
Friends Of The Parks, hold a fundraiser for the doggie casino this past Saturday. This park department has not budgeted one dollar, or expressed one concern, about the condition of the deteriorating WPA stone structures throughout the park system.
The barkfest fundraiser was a total bust. If the Friends of Allentowns parks event was any indication their will never be a "destination dog park".
ReplyDelete@10:15, dog owners i know are not keen on dog parks. apparently, one undisciplined dog can create havoc. my main disappointment about the barkfest event is the misplaced priorities of both the park dept. and Friends. they are both aware of the dire condition of the WPA structures.
ReplyDeleteI not sure I know what you mean by an environmental coalition, but a dog park along the Trout Creek is a stupid idea all the way around.
ReplyDeleteHow much money was spent on these plans?
Did the taxpayers foot the bill?
WPA. condishions AND Covered Bridge AND unkept Lehigh Parkway AND .....
ReplyDeleteMM It took me six trys to sent a comment. Your new system is difficult to use.
@11:08, the allentown EAC came out against the current destination plan. they recommendated several smaller neighborhood dog parks, away from water sites.
ReplyDeleteI recall the plans costing about $70 thousand, and the park to cost close to $1million.
if the plans were taxpayer paid, or grant paid, regardless, those same funds could have gone to something much more worthwhile, such as a new filter to open fountain park swimming pool. it's simply another crime against the park system.
@11:54, moderation is necessary because of a local cyberstalker. in the moderation mode, the blogger spam filter does not work, and i get dozens of robot spam comments awaiting moderation, thus the word verification is necessary. i apologize for both, and look forward to a time when neither is necessary.
This could be worse.
ReplyDeleteThe indispensable Destination Dog Park could, like Pawlowski's transformative Palace of Sport, require $ 233.7 million dollars worth of junk bonds which are rated the ninth-lowest out of a possible ten!
And, Comrade Molovisnky still cannot be certain that I am not a robot.
Paging Michael Milkin ...
:-)
Several small basic dog parks for Allentown is not a bad idea.
ReplyDeleteA large - "destination dog park" with extraineious bells & whistles is a bad idea.
A large "destination dog park" along an already stressed high quality stream is a very bad idea!!!!!'
This is all so basic. How could there people get this so wrong? Why are such incompetent people in a position to plan anything?
Who would have the responsibility for the regular maintainance of this destination dog park?
ReplyDeleteA cut-back park dept. can't keep up with the workload now.What's wrong with a basic, simple dog park ( not alongside a creek)?
Enough of this destination bullshit already.
@2:06, Destination Parks make great bullet points on your resume, ask the former park director. shame on pawlowski and the trexler trust for their support on that nonsense. the "destination water park" at cedarbeach was a true joke, even city council finally got that.
ReplyDeleteJust like the Plastic Fantastic Playground:
ReplyDelete• Right Concept
•Wrong Location
•Wrong Scale
The site for the Friends of Allentowns Parks Destination Dog Park is along Trout Creek. It's also in a floodplain and a wetland zone.
ReplyDeleteMark my words---- there will be a laysuit if this plan proceeds.
I apologize if this has already been addressed, but...does the city carry liability insurance specific to this dog park?
ReplyDeleteAll the concerns raised here were addressed at Weitzels early dog park public meetings. I know because I was there. This was before it was widely understood that Weitzels " planning process" was window dressing.
ReplyDeleteKnowledgable volunteers were not chosen for his bogus committee and suggestions that didn't advance his preordained grand plans were edited out.
Is it any wonder that so many good people have become disillusioned and disengaged?
All Allentown got to see FRIENDS OF THE PARK in action at last Sundays Barkfest.
ReplyDeleteGrade= F
momma, the park has not been built yet. the plans call for it be on the corner of dixon and mack (S. 8th), run north, and include the other side of trout creek. the entire park would be in a flood plain, and abut the creek on two sides. nothing about it conforms with environmental concerns. it's supported by karen el-chaar, president of Friends of the Parks, aka Friends of Pawlowski. Her husband led the Chamber of Commerce support for the arena. She wrote a letter after Weitzel departed, referring to him as a Visionary
ReplyDeleteI'm sure City Councilwoman Cynthia Mota will get this whole mess sorted out in short order.
ReplyDeleteIsn't there an abandoned house on that lot?
ReplyDeleteI am sure that the owners of the sands have bets running on allentowns antics as well as a pool for the date the puck drops in allentown pa. Allentown and the current administration is the norteastern joke of the nation. Living here in allentown as blighted homes fill the town?
ReplyDeletePhantom fan
Anon 10:23 was asking a question,not making a joke.
ReplyDeleteYes,there is a large boarded up house,circa 1920, on the parcel in question. The house has been owned by the City of Allentown for many years.
How does the city get away with this? I can't answer that.
at one point a few years ago the city owned over 100 houses, many in far worse shape than they would tolerate under private ownership.
ReplyDeleteit was suggested that the dixon/mack parcel may have been chosen as the dog park to fund the tear down of that house.