No to Off-Leash Dog Park in Crow Island Woods

This woods is home to deer, foxes, raccoons, coyotes, owls, hawks and over a 100 species of birds during migration and should not be further reduced for a dog park. It is already widely used by people walking their dogs so there is no need to build a separate dog park.

As a long time Winnetka resident and a happy dog owner, I am deeply opposed to another dog park, especially in the Crow Island Woods. We have had three children attend Crow Island School and believe that a dog park in the Crow Island Woods would be dangerous for the hundreds of young children that are in close proximity everyday.

Neither the Crow Island Woods nor the West Elm Park are appropriate sites for an off-leash dog park. Too close to schools and homeowners, would have negative impacts on the neighborhoods in terms of parking, traffic, noise, environment and potential dog bite incidents. The WPD needs to drop these sites and re-consider any plans for a dog park.

not good for the woods

Winnetka does not need another off leash dog park - especially one near young children, homes, and natural treasures.

The creation of an off-leash dog park in Crow Island Woods is a litigious disaster in the making and entirely avoidable. Increased traffic on one Willow Road, the site of a heavily populated primary school would endanger children who bike or walk to school. This represents a safety problem that is irresponsible to even consider. The woods are used by the children during and after school hours and an aggressive off-leash dog represents a real and present threat to their safety. Crow Island Woods is unique and is in the process of being maintained and restored; a dog park would compromise all of thes efforts in addition to wasting the revenue already invested in conservation. The Schmidt Burnham Cabin was moved to the woods to recreate the historical past of Winnetka, a dog park does NOT align with this incentive. The woods are also ecologically significant with an important oak savanna that cannot be moved or ever replaced.The woods are also used by Boy Scouts and the school. A dog park at this site would be extremely difficult to regulate against non-residents from entering the area. Increased noise and traffic would very likely affect property values as well. Why put an off-leash dog park right next to an elementary school on an extremely busy road in an historical and ecologically important site when Winnetka already HAS an off-leash dog beach that is difficult to monitor? This is completely ill-conceived and I own two dogs who are off-leash only in my yard. Centennial is five minutes away and well regulated. Crow Island Woods is a one minute exit from the highway. Why invite increased traffic, endanger our children, and compromise an irreplaceable ecosystem? This is absolutely avoidable, and will never have my support.

1. Major safety hazard for kids walking to/from Crow Island School 2. Likely will damage the oak savanna ecosystem 3. Dog noise will pollute the woods 4. Safety hazard for kids and cars on Euclid Ave - e.g., no sidewalks I don’t think Winnetka needs a second dog park—current one is enough.

As a fourth generation Winnetka resident and alumna of Crow Island School, I vehemently oppose the creation of an off-leash dog park in Crow Island Woods. I attended Crow Island and my children currently attend the school, and the addition of a dog park on perhaps the busiest road in Winnetka would be a serious and dangerous mistake. Children on bikes and those who walk to school would be at an even greater risk than they are now. The extra traffic that a dog park would generate is untenable and irresponsible. Crow Island Woods is a haven for various important habitats including one of the last oak savanna’s in the country, as well as home to a centuries old understory that would be obliterated for a ridiculous dog park. Crow Island Woods is a unique and irreplaceable part of Winnetka’s history. It is our responsibility to be steward’s of this site and not it’s destroyers. I absolutely oppose and abhor the consideration of Crow Island Woods for an off-leash dog park.

The oak savanna is ecologically vital, the traffic on Willow is already a danger to the students attending Crow Island school, and the school has incorporated the Crow Island Woods into it’s curricula for over two generations. The understory cannot be successfully transplanted; it will not survive. I intend to attend the meeting to further voice my opinion. This is NOT the appropriate place for a dog park.

NO!

Safety concerns.

The Park District's process did not solicit input from stakeholders such as residents who would be affected before announcing the two finalists. It did not consider best practices for dog park siting, as can be readily found on the internet. Consider, for example, Glencoe's approach, with lots of early community involvement and the appointment of a task force of citizen volunteers. https://www.glencoeparkdistrict.com/news/special-projects/dog-park-feasibility So may issues: children safety #1, loss of deer habitat, major drainage problem, access for first responder vehicles down a narrow street loaded with parked cars, effective loss of usage of front yards for Euclid residents, conflicts with other scheduled events, damage to the adjacent areas of the woodlands, and on and on. The analysis and approval process is being rushed. Why is that?

Please keep Crow Island Woods free of Dogs (and I suspect their droppings as They are off leash). Our elementary Children play in these woods and the Woods are a rare resource of nature That few schools have. Keep Crow island woods free and clear!

CIW does not have parking to accommodate a lot of patrons. Not all dogs are comfortable with children. As someone whose child was bit by a dog, I think it's safer for both dogs and children if the dog park site could be somewhere with less kid traffic.

I am a huge pet lover and owner of 2 dogs. However, I am NOT in support of making Crow Island a leash free dog park. It is irresponsible to have dogs running free so close to a school with young children. Frankly, I don’t see a need for a leash free dog park anywhere in Winnetka. There is plenty of green space for dogs to walk or run with their owners while on a lease. We also have Centennial Park and the dog beach. If a dog owner wants their dog to run free, than they should let them out in their back yard. I think having dogs off leash will only lead to conflicts between humans and dogs, as well as dogs and other dogs.

dogs should be on a leash except when on the owner's property.

There are plenty of places around beautiful Winnetka for dogs already. No need to clear this great sanctuary/woodsland for more spots for pets.

Feel that the Dog Beach is enough....changing the landscape of the beautiful green space is not necessary.

Keep the woods. Can't believe anyone would clear woods for people pets. it is asinine. We have conceded enough to dogs and their needy owners. They have a dog beach and dogs are always on the par 3 golf course a block away. The woods are filled with ticks, mosquitos, and mud and are not a place for dogs. Nobody in winnetka is going to the woods to get feasted on by them. The thought of this is laughable. Look at the lagoons. I'm tired of giving up natural public lands for animals people purchased and have nowhere to put them. Elder beach is already closed enough due to bacteria which ends up on the swim beach from all the dog urine and feces that wash right into the lake when it rains from the dog beach right nextdoor. enough is enough. Not everybody loves dogs and "needs" them everywhere. I went to Crow Island in the late 1980s and 2/3 of my nieces currently attend. The dog park would bring animals and adults very close to the school in a normal seeming manner. Dogs attack and people can be awful. Count me in for a big NO to this one and I would be happy to spell it all out for anyone saying yes to this. People will see one tick and get bit a bunch by mosquitos and never go back. Nobody walks through the woods currently just for that reason.

Thanks for preserving our natural resources.