Marina: Fenced and off leash area not mutually exclusive

[latinamer...@gmail.com]

Dear Friends,

As I have written to our listserv TCDOG, in Ithaca there many dog
owners who would like to see a fenced in area included in any Marina
dog park plan. We know that, in many communities, fenced in and off
leash areas share the same dog park space.

Unfortunately, many of us have dogs that cannot be off leash since they
wander (a euphemism for run away). I personally learned this the hard
way. My two dogs, beagle mix siblings, were fine off leash at the
Marina until they were about one and a half. One spring afternoon, they
took off to chase deer. They ended up on route 96 in the pouring rain
at 1:00am at night, found by an elderly couple able to stop them.

They haven't been off leash since. We walk them on leash at the Marina,
often having trouble with off leash dogs.

Those of us who have these reliable unreliable dogs need a well placed
fenced in area so that our dogs also can social and exercise and so
that we also can enjoy our "dog pack" relationships with fellow dog
owners. The Marina is also the best place for this area.

In the past the Common Council has been sympathetic to the idea of both
a fenced in and an off leash area dog park at the Marina.

There have been 2 proposals for a fenced in area for the Marina put
forth by Ithaca's Common Council: the first negotiated with the State
Parks Commission and the second only involving city land.

In the first proposal in 1999-2000, The City of Ithaca negotiated a
fenced area for the Marina with the state to combine state and city
land. The City of Ithaca surveyed the area and marked the ground. It
also was going to construct and pay for the fenced area. The marked
area was very well placed and ample, much of it along wooded border in
front of the Marina, extending toward the lakefront.

When this proposal came to vote, the Common Council finally tabled it
because of the very vocal resistance of the off leash only contingent
at the meeting for the vote.

The second proposal in 2001, made by the City for city land, was not
good at all and finally not pursued.

It would be in the TCDOG community's interest to request both an off
leash and fenced area at the same time for the Marina dog park. It
would consolidate the pressure on the State to provide an mixed use dog
park at the Marina by involving more dog owner and community voices.

I, for one, would like to see the first fenced area proposal revisited.

Linda Russo
204 North Geneva St.
Ithaca, NY 14850