06/02/12

Allen Park Expansion Plans in Farmingdale Do Not Include a Dog Park

LI-DOG Suspends Petition Drive

In May, LI-DOG was informed by the Town of Oyster Bay that its plans for the 22-acre Allen Park expansion on the former Liberty site in Farmingdale do not include a dog park. The news came after LI-DOG volunteers gathered 1,000 signatures on paper petitions and an online petition asking for a dog park in the expansion area. LI-DOG had been encouraged to get involved in the public process of providing the town with input on uses for the park and made the case that there’s plenty of space in the expansion area for a dog park and that Town of Oyster Bay families who own dogs would welcome a place to meet friends and neighbors while their dogs get much-needed exercise. The Town’s plans for Allen Park now include a long-planned community center, numerous sports fields and a walking trail.

As a result of the news, LI-DOG has suspended its petition drive for the Allen Park expansion. “We are disappointed that the Town of Oyster Bay has decided not to include a dog park in the Allen Park expansion given the tremendous support demonstrated for such a facility—1,000 signatures on petitions gathered within a few short months,” said Ginny Munger Kahn, president of LI-DOG. “However, LI-DOG is confident that by continuing to work with the Town on a constructive basis, we will get more access to parks and beaches in the Town of Oyster Bay,” she said.

The Town currently is completing work on its first-ever dog park in Massapequa. The 50,000-sq-ft facility, which is located between Louden Ave. and Clocks Blvd., is fenced, and features large dog and small dog (25 lbs. or less) areas, water stations, benches and shade structures, is scheduled to open on June 3rd.

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