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ARMONK, N.Y. – Armonk resident Becky Kittredge wants to create as much space for North Castle dogs and dog owners as possible.
Should North Castle look for other possible locations for a town dog park?
View ResultsShould North Castle look for other possible locations for a town dog park?
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No, Wampus Brook Park will be a great location once it's cleaned up.
16% -
Yes, a larger location would make much more sense.
19% -
I'm in favor of whichever option brings the town a dog park fastest.
25% -
North Castle should not have a dog park at all.
40%
In a Feb. 22 letter to the North Castle Town Board, Kittredge suggested that even though the town has voted on a Wampus Brook Park site for a town dog park, a much larger 21-acre parcel owned jointly by North Castle and the Village of Mount Kisco should be considered as well.
Kittredge points out that the property sits between Baldwin Road and Byram Lake Road, both of which receive little traffic and that there would be plenty of room for pull-off parking.
She believes North Castle dog owners will have use for the additional space.
“Most of us live with yards large enough for our dogs to get moderate exercise,” she said in the letter. “However, our properties are not large enough in most cases for good long walks and runs.”
She also mentions that the Wampus location could prove dangerous.
“The small size of the site is restrictive,” she said. “It would be that much easier for a dog to get loose and run into dangerous traffic.”
After looking into the site as an alternative option for a town dog park, Town Supervisor Howard Arden quickly came to the conclusion that the site is dead end for a dog park proposal.
“I approached Mount Kisco Mayor Michael Cindrich on the idea and he basically said a dog park in that location would be totally out of the question,” said Arden.
Arden said there are simply too many obstacles surrounding the parcel to get any kind of traction on such a big project, adding that the site has previously shot down proposals for just a hiking path.
He also envisioned the “very protective” Friends of Byram Lake would have something to say on the matter, as well as the complications that come from working with multiple municipalities.
“It’s hard enough getting things done with just one,” he said.
Although Wampus Brook Park remains the most likely location for a North Castle Dog Park, Arden admitted he was intrigued by Kittredge’s idea.
“I appreciated the thinking,” he said. “I too thought, hey, why not have more space? But after looking into it, it proved to be pretty much a non-starter.”
North Castle has a contract to do the tree and debris cleanup at the Wampus Brook Park site. However, that process has been delayed by Winter Storm Nemo.
“We’re waiting for the snow to melt,” said Arden. “After it does and we get it cleared, then we’ll have a better idea of what next steps need to be taken.”
North Castle expects to be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the clean-up of Wampus, while the Town Board is hopeful additional costs would be covered by dog park donors.
Town Board member Diane DiDonato-Roth recently mentioned she already has one donor lined up.
Comments (3)
I think that Wampus Brook Park may also make dogs scared because the fire siren for Armonk FD is in the woods. The siren is really loud when I heard it once there.
That space off of Kaysal Court, where the old bowling alley used to be I think would be more ideal for the dog park. It is currently an eye sore, would be more secluded than being a corner lot, and parking could be more ample and larger than the current proposed space. I know it is protected land, but what better way to protect it than turning into a park? There is thick traffic in the proposed space already; being that it is one of the main entrances into Armonk and is one of two routes to get to the schools. The children walk to town that way, and increasing traffic there seems like a poor choice.
I think a larger dog park is more appropriate for North Castle. However, we should look at how we are doing with what we already have. The Betsey S preserve is not maintained at all. If anyone thinks, "well it's just the weather", take a walk in a similar preserve in New Castle or Greenwich. The recent austerity measures will make maintenance of new capital projects problematic.