It turns out not all Sunset Hills residents want a piece of their park space "going to the dogs," as one resident put it. A dog park that would benefit Sunset Hills and Crestwood residents is not needed and would boot playing children to the curb, neighbors to the proposed site say.
For decades the space on Eddie & Park Road behind Truman Middle School has been home to a baseball diamond. The City of Sunset Hills recently secured a $220,000 St. Louis County Municipal Parks Grant to create a new dog park on the 4-acre site. Half of the property will be used as a dog park, with a shelter for owners. The other half will have walking trails, a picnic shelter and playground.
Crestwood residents will be able to use the park. The City of Crestwood recently passed an agreement between the cities for use and maintenance of the park.
There is currently no timeline for bidding and construction, Sunset Hills Park Director Gerald Brown said.
Dog park opponents believe eliminating the baseball diamond will affect children and families who use the field during warm months.
"I remind you kids come first. I don't have a quarrel with man's best friend," resident Cliff Underwood said.
Tom Lynch, who spoke against the dog park on behalf of several residents, feels the board should award "more value, respect to youngsters" instead of a select group asking for the dog park. He added it's the only ball field in Sunset Hills that isn't part of a sport complex focused on league play.Roughly 65 people signed a handwritten petition against the dog park, Lynch said. Russell Korte said he collected more than 30 signatures against the dog park with one visit to the ball field.
"I suspect that if I keep this petition going, which I will because I think Mr. Brown has an edict to move ahead to the dog park business, I suspect I can probably get 500 or 1,000 signatures on this petition," Korte said. "I will not stop with a petition."
The Sunset Hills Conservation Foundation hosted a fundraiser in October to raise funds for the park, but discussion at the meeting revealed many residents hadn't heard about the project. Brown said residents within 300 feet of the property were alerted to an informational meeting at the Community Center.
Multiple residents--including one alderman--referenced a recent South County Times report.
"... The only information that I received was from the South County Times… otherwise I wouldn’t even know what’s going on," Thomas Musich said.
While Brown said fields are generally in use from the end of March through September, Musich noted outdoor play stretches until Thanksgiving.
"I would like to know what we are going to propose to do with the children and the families that are displaced from that park, because they’re not going to be able to use it anymore as a park as they’re doing right now," Musich said. While he said he supported dog parks he doesn't believe the proposed location is the right fit, adding, "I think what my daughter said, 'Kids rule, dogs drool.'"
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In addition to the proposed city dog park, new boarding facilities are expected to open in both cities this year. Y Bark Alone is opening on Watson Road in Sunset Hills, No Leash Needed's Weston Ackermann is working on an overnight boarding facility and outdoor dog park at 9221 Watson Industrial Park.
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