Shirlington Dog Park in Jeopardy?

ARLINGTON, VA -- Local residents who take their dogs to Shirlington Dog Park are wondering if changes are afoot at the park or if it might be scrapped altogether. A neighborhood meeting Tuesday takes place at 7 p.m. at 2700 S. Taylor St., and is designed to start looking at future plans of the park and get consensus from local residents.

Participants will be looking at conceptual drawings intended to get like/dislike responses about general placement of built versus open park features in an expanded park, Virginia Farris wrote on the dog park's Facebook page, after much discussion about the possibility of the dog park changing or disappearing.

A message posted to the Shirlington Dog Park Facebook page alerted fans of the park on Monday with this message:

"They are redeveloping Shirlington and have put out new plans, it appears that they plan to move the dog park and make it much smaller, or do away with it. There is a planning meeting tomorrow from 7-10 at the Arlington Parks and Natural Resources Operations Building (2700 S Taylor St Arlington, VA 22206). If you can't make it, then please email the county and let them know that you don't want to do away with the dog park and you don't want it made into a little round field. The email is countyboard@arlingtonva.us
Please pass this along to anyone else who enjoys the dog park."

Reaction was fast and furious:

• Rachel said: "If anything, they should expand the dog park!"
• Naomi noted: "I really hope this doesn't happen! We love the dog park, and there is really no where else like it anywhere near here..."
• Trish said: "That's insane. The dog park is one of the biggest draws of the area for people when considering places to live; plus, people come from all over to use it = lots of money into the village!!"

PHOTO of Shirlington dog park courtesy of Arlington County; photo by Keith B. Fred