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There are no firm plans in place and the idea is still in the discussion phase. The first step is coming up with a location. The village's Advisory Council on Parks and Recreation has considered a couple of different spots where a dog park could go, and has recommended a spot near or adjacent to the compost site on Lincoln Avenue as one possible location, according to Village Administrator Chris Bradbury.
The problem with the compost site is that there are a lot of trucks and equipment going in and out of the location, Bradbury said. There are other areas around the village that could be considered, such as a little farther away at the corner of Lincoln Avenue and King Street, where a parking lot and trails could be installed. Other possible locations include on Bowman Avenue, or in Rye Hills, where people tend to most frequently let their dogs off leashes.
"The tough part about dog parks is you don't want them to be adjacent to residential property, but from an operational standpoint you don't want it in a hidden spot where you can't watch over it," Bradbury said.
During the surveys recently sent out on the village's comprehensive plan, many residents expressed interest in installing a dog park. Beyond the location, other questions that remain include the cost of maintaining it, how to enforce the rules and whether it would be open to just Rye Brook residents.
"We'd want places where you'd want to bring your family," Bradbury said. "In that line, you want to make sure the parks are well maintained, you want to make sure the grass is done well, you want to make sure the feces are picked up, because some people don't always do that."
Neighboring Port Chester is also in the process of creating a dog park. That park will be in Abendroth Park, and a group of residents is currently working to raise money for fencing and operational costs.
The idea of a dog park will be brought up for residents to discuss at the Rye Brook comprehensive plan workshop on Oct. 28 at 8 pm., in Village Hall.
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