Roanoke dog park passes review board

By Angela Hatcher

Published: August 15, 2008

A decision is finally made about the location of a public dog park in Roanoke.

Thursday night, the Roanoke City Architectural Board approved the location within Highland Park for the dog park, as well as a chain link fence.

The dog park’s location may have passed with a majority, but some people still aren’t unanimously behind the decision

Two board members, Bill Bestpitch and Robert Richert, were eager to chew up and spit out Roanoke Parks and Rec’s request.  Richert questioned how Parks and Rec, and specifically director Steve Buschor, picked the spot.  “I think what you’ve been doing is watching the applause meter,“ Richert said at the meeting.  Buschor responded, “As a public servant, I take great pride in saying that I listen to our citizens, and it’s not an applause meter.  It’s called democracy.“

Clara English, who is against the park, didn’t feel welcome in her own neighborhood at last month’s meeting at Highland Park.  She says her opinion definitely wasn’t.  “The long presentation that followed, quoted only those sources that were fully in favor of dog parks,“ English said.

A majority of people who showed up to both meetings were in favor of the dog park.

Besptich and Richert still voted against the dog park, but did not have enough votes to override the dog park push.

A chain-link fence will separate the “off-leash” area from the rest of the park.  There is no date set for the park to be up and running.

The group NewVA-connects must first raise the money for the fence, and other things the park will need.