Councillor Mark King is marking his territory when it comes to a new dog park.
A report from City staff is again recommending that City Council approve the Laurentian Park location for a second off-leash dog park.
In August, a similar report delivered to Council resulted in the matter being returned to the committee level by King, who said then that he was not sold on the location and had heard complaints from residents that the Carruthers Street area was too populated for a dog park.
King says his stance has not changed in the past month. There are various arguments he can make against jumping blindly into a scenario where the noise impacts will not be known until the park is built and it is too late, says the Councillor.
King adds that there are other locations that make more sense to him, including a potential site off of Golf Course Road.
The City’s report states that the preferred location is surrounded by a park and vacant land on three of the four sides of the property, but King cautions that the E.T. Carmichael land could be redeveloped in the near future. He also wonders why parkland that is meant for residents of the city is being granted to a niche group such as dog owners.
King says he will have many questions for staffers about this recommendation and foresees the matter returning to committee for more research.
The report will be presented at the committee meeting Tuesday night at 6:30 pm.
