Rochester’s new urban dog park narrowed to three locations

(ABC 6 News) – The city of Rochester is narrowing down it’s options when it comes to creating a new urban dog park.

Rochester has two dog parks right now, but there are none within walking distance from downtown.

For pet-owners who live near the city, they say the new dog park would be a big bonus.

“It really arose from some citizens who actually requested that we take a look at that, especially in our more urban areas where people live closer together, have less space for their dogs to run around and socialize,” explained Rochester City Planner Jeff Feece.

The Rochester Parks and Rec. Dep. has narrowed it down to three options: Two of them are in the Kutzky Park neighborhood and the other is in Cook Park.

The park would be much smaller than a traditional dog park, just a fraction of the size of a football field, between 5,000-9,000 sq. ft.

It will cost the city around $30,000 but officials say that it is funded through the Park Board’s 2020 referendum.

People in the area who were out walking dogs say that a new dog park is long overdue and that no matter where it is constructed, they are happy that the city is doing something about it.

“I don’t think there’s any cons to any dog parks,” said Maria Doerr who is a dog walker in town. “I think the public would really appreciate it, there’s a lot of dogs that walk over here that would probably appreciate having a dog park a lot closer by.”

Officials say that there are a few pros and cons to consider about each of the locations. Here is a full list below:

Kutzky Park Option A’s pros include having an existing parking lot, good pedestrian access, a natural setting and a close proximity to multi-family housing. On the other hand, it is close to a popular bird-watching area as well as a close proximity to private properties and officials are worried about the noise impact.

Kutzky Park Option B”s pros include that it is a better distance from private residences, it has less of an impact to bird watchers, good access for pedestrians and bicyclists as well as it is in close proximity to multi-family housing. Cons include that there is no parking lot, there is little shade, and that it is in close proximity to an active ballfield.

Finally, the pros of the Cook park location include that it has existing facilities, including restrooms, a parking lot, shelter, drinking fountain and a playground. Others include that there are existing dog activities in the park, it is separate from private properties, it has good bicycle and pedestrian access and that it is a good distance from bird watching areas.

Cons for Cook Park include that it is not as close to multi-family housing as Kutzky Park and that some of its users may have to cross Civic Center Drive.

The goal is to get the new park up and open by the end of 2023.