06/07/12

LI-DOG’s Take on Fees at West Hills and other Suffolk County Parks with Dog Parks

LI-DOG understands large dog owners’ frustration at having to pay a fee to use the large dog park at West Hills on summer weekends between the hours of 8 to 4. The parking fee is $6 for Suffolk residents and $13 for nonresidents. However, West Hills is not unique. At Blydenburgh, dog owners of both large and small dogs pay a fee to get access to the dog park during the summer, since everyone who uses the park pays an entrance fee. Conversely, dog owners of both large and small dogs do not have to pay a fee to use the off-leash beach at Roe Ave. or the dog parks at Robinson Farm and Cherry Ave. In the case of these three other off-leash areas, there are no other Suffolk County Park activities available. By contrast, Blydenburgh and the section of West Hills with the large dog park both have multiple park activities. The Parks Dept.’s fee collection policy, therefore, has nothing to do with discriminating against large dog owners, but rather with collecting fees where other park activities are available during the summer.

Collecting fees in high activity areas is one way the Parks Dept. raises revenues. Everyone is aware of the serious financial situation the County has faced and continues to face. Suffolk County parks and their upkeep are important to dog owners—not only are there five dog parks located within SC Parks but dog owners have on-leash access to almost the entire 45,000-acre park system. We question whether it serves the long-term interests of all dog owners to ask the County to eliminate fees in one high activity area.

In 2005, when LI-DOG first identified the field where the large dog park at West Hills is now located, the Parks Dept. noted that fees were collected in this area of the park. Because that field had so many factors in its favor: 1)it was seldom used; 2)it was not near any houses; 3)it was large; 4)there was water and restrooms nearby; and 5)there was shade in the afternoon, LI-DOG went ahead and recommended that this be the site for the new large dog park. LI-DOG also recommended that the existing dog park on High Hold Drive be converted to the small dog park. These recommendations focused solely on the dog parks under consideration. Contrary to some press reports, LI-DOG has never made any recommendations to the Parks Dept. about its fees.

By working with elected officials in Suffolk County and the Suffolk County Parks Dept., we were successful in getting the new large dog park built on Sweet Hollow Rd. in West Hills in 2006. The County reopened the prior existing dog run as the small dog park in 2008. We understand that no situation is perfect and improvements can always be made. We would like to invite any of our fellow dog owners who are concerned about the issue of fees at West Hills Park to attend our next monthly meeting for further discussion. The meeting will be held on Wed., June 20th at 7:30 p.m. at Borrelli’s Restaurant, 1580 Hempstead Tpke., E. Meadow, NY.

Thank you for your support.

As always, keep in touch by e-mailing us at lidog_news@yahoo.com.