Penfield Park

I am so happy to see Penfield Park getting an upgrade. This proposal has so much to offer. As a parent and dog owner, I’m ecstatic about the dog park and the playground upgrades. 

In the summer (and honestly most seasons as long as the weather is not too harsh), at almost any point there are children utilizing that playground. When it’s busy there it can almost get to the point of being overcrowded. There are so many children who live around here and go to the Bailey/Oak schools that are within walking distance. 

I also love the path renovations. We see people of all ages and fitness levels utilizing that path, so this is wonderful. 

In the city, many people rent and do not have the luxury or the means to fence in or provide a backyard for their dogs. Unfortunately, buying a home just isn’t feasible anymore. Even multiple income households are unable in this current climate. The dog park is what we use in lieu of a backyard in the city. Many of us dog owners walk our dogs several times a day, but the livelihood of these pets is really increased by the ability to let them play, socialize, and interact with other dogs unleashed in a dog park. We walk our dog a minimum of 3-5 times a day and venture to the dog park daily. More often than not it is very wet and muddy, much like the children’s playground as well. I love the idea of moving it around those trees for a little shade for the dogs as well. That area is also pretty low, but if there was some kind of drainage or plan for that. (That’s out of my wheelhouse, but I imagine there are ways to manage areas like that)

I did also see a comment about dogs fighting and barking until 10pm. I’ve lived here my whole life and I’ve never encountered that and I interact with many dog owners and parents in this area. But everyone has the right to voice their opinion even if it’s unfounded. It’s frustrating as a responsible dog owner to see such negativity. I just hope that doesn’t come at the expense of many of us who are responsible and don’t allow or watch our dogs fight. We would truly appreciate this. And if the answer is the dog park going elsewhere that’s absolutely fine too, really we are just happy to be getting some kind of improvement.

My final thought is mirroring another comment I read here. It is where does the City stand on reinstating a Parks and Recreation department to ensure maintenance of these new parks? This is such an amazing park and these renovations will be so benefical to so many. We would all love to see it maintained so it will last for many years to come. 

Thank you for opening this up to the public. Every time this has been mentioned in conversation it’s been met with excitement and gratitude. What a wonderful thing for our community.