East Lansing has dogs on its mind.
The city wants to create a dog park where "man's best friend" can run free, unhampered by leashes.
And dog owners want a place where they can bring their four-legged friends without worrying about keeping them on a leash, Wendy Longpre, assistant director of the East Lansing department of Parks, Recreation and Arts said.
"We really do want to provide an area where people can recreate with their dogs," she said. "Dogs are a large part of people's lives."
The idea originated last year after police received complaints about dog owners letting their pets run leashless in Bailey Park, located on the corner of Bailey Street and Ann Street, Longpre said. East Lansing requires dogs to wear a leash in public, she said.
The city proposed temporarily using Bailey Park, but members of the Bailey Community Center opposed the plan, voicing concern about the safety of neighborhood children.
"There wound up being a lot of neighbors in opposition," Longpre said. "There was some conflict between the children of that center and the dogs running loose."
The city has created a dog park study group to take part in planning the park. So far, $10,000 has been allocated for park creation, but Longpre expects costs as high as $30,000, she said. Unmet costs will be covered through fundraising, Longpre said.
The park would add to the city's quality of life, said Beverly Baten, an East Lansing City Council member.
"People are still walking their dogs, but they're not socializing unless they stop and visit with people," she said. "They would catch up on what was happening in the neighborhood."
An alternative location near the East Lansing Softball Complex and Aquatic Center on Abbott Road has been recommended.
The complex is an ideal location for the park because it offers plenty of parking space, and few residents live near the area, Longpre said. Some residents may oppose the location because of its distance from residents, she said.
The conflict is "proximity for people who will use it versus proximity for people who live around it," Longpre said.
Albert A. White Memorial Park, behind the East Lansing Fire Station, is another possible location for the dog park, she said.
Brian Hanna, a supply chain management senior, said a leashless dog park would be useful because his yard is not fenced in.
"I don't want to worry about him getting hit by a car or getting sued," he said while walking his Golden Retriever, Kramer. "I'd like to take him to a dog park and have him play with other dogs, and not have to worry about little kids coming in there."
Baten said she supports the creation of the dog park, even though creating it could be difficult.
"I understand the need and the want, but finding the proper location and putting it all together will be the difficult part," she said. "It will cost money for fencing and policing to make sure people clean up after their dogs."
