What does it take to get everyone on the same page at a city council meeting? What makes everyone compliant and cooperative rather than crabby and cantankerous? One word: puppies.
On March 6 council met with City Manager Nicole Ard and Director of Planning and Community Development Celia Craze to continue earlier discussions on the possible construction of a second dog park for the city. About 15 city residents attended, most of them confessing to being owned by a dog, including members of the original Dog Park Association (DPA), which was instrumental in the establishment of the dog park off Hanover Parkway in Greenbelt East. This dog park was the first one in the State of Maryland and will celebrate its 20th anniversary this year. As Councilmember Silke Pope will attest, the discussion of a second park has gone on for many years now. Her council colleagues give her full credit for championing the topic and keeping it on the agenda to the point where it now looks like a real possibility, when funding permits.
At a worksession in September of last year, councilmembers discussed eight possible locations and whittled the list to three in Historic Greenbelt. While it is recognized that Greenbelt West dogs would like to have their own park, too, the owners of Franklin Park are believed to be exploring that possibility. The three sites making the cut in September were Parcel 7 at the intersection of Ridge Road and Ivy Lane, Ridge Road opposite 101-105 Ridge Road, and the area known locally as Candy Cane City, near the Aquatic & Fitness Center. Notwithstanding some initial concern expressed by Councilmember Rodney Roberts about whether people still use the basketball court at the Ivy Lane location, that site was the one preferred by everyone on council and all audience members who expressed a preference.
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