Jacksonville, Ore. — Jacksonville could get its first dog park in the near future.
The idea of a dog park in Jacksonville is a very hot topic around town.
Many are in favor of it, but some people who live in the area that’s being considered are very concerned.
“I have a hard time believing that this is the right place for it,” Rolf Peterson said.
Rolf Peterson has lived in the same Jacksonville neighborhood for 16 years.
He says it’s a nice, quiet place to live, but he’s concerned that will change after hearing a parcel of land in the neighborhood is being considered for a dog park.
“It’s gonna be smelly, noisy, and interfere with the calmness of the neighborhood,” Peterson said.
The dog park was initially being considered near the skate park, but city council members say that location was too small, and too steep.
The new location, however, isn’t sitting well with multiple neighbors.
Ellen Lynch says she’s worried about her children’s safety, after her two-year-old son was recently charged by a large dog off its leash.
“A lot of people let their dogs off-leash, and so I can expect that if we have a lot more dog activity in the area that realistically there’s gonna be lots of people bringing their dogs, and letting them off the leash early before they actually get to the park,”
The rectangle of land is about an acre in size.
Those in favor of the park in that area say it’s one of the only options since Jacksonville doesn’t have a lot of public, open space.
And while the location isn’t ideal for everyone, there’s no question many dog owners would love to see a park go up somewhere in the coming months.
“We often travel with our dog and it would be really great to have a place to stop and exercise her along the way,” Jacksonville visitor Lisa Shachter said.
“I see a lot of pets around here, so yeah… we need a dog park. It’s a splendid idea,” Jacksonville resident Walter Giannini said.
The dog park needs to be considered by the planning commission first, and then it’ll go before city council.
A conditional-use permit would also need to be issued for the land to become a park.
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