04/14/09
Southaven County Dog Park Approved By Suffolk County Legislature
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On Tuesday, March 3rd, the Suffolk County Legislature passed a bill proposed by County Legislator Kate Browning to create a new dog park in Southaven County Park in Brookhaven. (GO to the bottom of the page to see how each legislator voted.) This park is the first approved since the passage of Suffolk County’s Five New Dog Parks initiative in 2007. Leg. Browning has been a strong supporter of dog owners and an advocate for the development of new dog parks for the past several years. She was a co-sponsor of the 2007 law allowing the creation of five new dog parks in Suffolk County. Since that time, she has worked with the South Yaphank Civic Association to find a location for a new dog park for her constituents. The intended site of the new 2.6 acre dog park is a field near the southern end of Southaven County Park, near the currently vacant horse stables. Southaven County Park is a 1,356 acre park with diverse sites and services. The Long Island Dog Owners Group (LI-DOG) worked with the South Yaphank Civic Association to identify an area in the park that would meet the needs of dog owners and their pets. The Southaven site is located well within the park, away from homes bordering the area, with parking and water nearby. At 2.6 acres, the site is larger than the already immensely popular dog park at Blydenburgh County Park. The Suffolk County Parks Department has raised objections to the use of this particular field and suggested that other locations continue to be investigated. Moreover, two weeks after the passage of the bill, the Suffolk County Parks Board of Trustees voted against the dog park at the urging of County Executive Steve Levy’s representative on the board. The County Executive’s representative argued against the bill on the grounds that there are plans to headquarter the SPCA in the nearby stables. Leg. Browning, however, stated that she had been researching sites for dog parks since 2006 and that this area in Southaven County Park is clearly suitable. LI-DOG President Ginny Munger Kahn agreed and stated that there is no reason Southaven County Park cannot be shared and that the Parks Department should be able to work with Legislator Browning on this long awaited project. The bill contains a directive to the Parks Department to provide a plan for the design and construction of the park within thirty days of the effective date of the bill. Leg. Browning has worked with NYS Assemblywoman Patricia Eddington to secure monies for this project. Assemblywoman Eddington has expressed interest in supporting the project with state funding and will be exploring budgetary options. LI-DOG members are urged to contact Leg. Browning and Assemblywoman Eddington to thank them for their support of this initiative. In particular, Leg. Browning should be recognized for spearheading the creation of the first new dog park since the 2007 Five New Dog Parks initiative was passed. Leg Kate Browning: phone 631-852-1300 kate.browning@suffolkcountyny.gov Assemblywoman Patricia Eddington: phone 631-207-0073 eddingp@assembly.state.ny.us LI-DOG members should also contact County Executive Steve Levy and Suffolk Parks Commissioner John Pavacic and let them know:
Contact the County Executive at county.executive@suffolkcountyny.gov and the Parks Commissioner at scparks@suffolkcountyny.gov. Thank you for your support! Don’t forget to check the LI-DOG website regularly for updates on the Southaven project. Suffolk County Legislators' Votes on Southaven Dog Park
As always, keep in touch by e-mailing us at lidog_news@yahoo.com. |
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