The East Ridge dog park is staying where it is for now. Many residents who use the park are passionate about not moving it to city owned property at 1623 Springvale Road, as was proposed by City Manager Scott Miller at the Feb. 28 council meeting. The reasoning for moving it was that the new multi-use pavilion the city is building is next to the dog park and events will be taking place there such as weddings and meetings and barking dogs could be disruptive.
Many dog owners who use the park came to the meeting and eight spoke to the council with statements aimed at not moving the dog park. In addition to the fact that the park is considered to be one of the best functioning dog parks in the area, other reasons included the convenience of being close to retail businesses and grocery stores where the dog owner can shop while they are out. And people feel safe where it is now next to the police department and two busy roads. The park has become a place where some users go often and have become friends with other dog owners.
Speakers said the barking of dogs is no more disturbing than all the other noises in the area such as sirens from the police and fire stations, children playing at the Pioneer Frontier Park, the splash pad and motorcycles and souped-up cars on the surrounding streets. More than one speaker told the council that they would be willing to not use the park during large events to reduce any noise.
The proposed location at Springvale Park has many negatives in the view of these speakers, first being the lack of safety. According to the police reports on Facebook, said one speaker, there have been a lot of police calls to the Springvale Park area for illegal drug arrests, indecent exposure and suspicious activity along with a nearby homeless camp. On a walk there one resident saw syringes and condoms on the ground. Police Chief Clint Uselton told those present that there is crime in the area, but inside the actual park, the police department does not get an overwhelming number of calls. He said the homeless camp is nearby on privately owned property and city police cannot ask them to leave.
When the dog park was built three years ago three locations were considered, Camp Jordan, Springvale Park and the present location beside city hall. Two independent studies indicated that residents of the city wanted to spread out the amenities offered by the city to the center of East Ridge and to the west side because at the time, most parks and activities were being directed to Camp Jordan on the east end.
At that time, Council Member Jacky Cagle said he was opposed to putting it by city hall, but the reasons such as odor and barking have turned out to be non-issues. Thursday night he told the council he would like to keep it where it is and work with pet owners about preventing noise for big events. Council member Aundie Witt said at the time it was built in 2023 she was against the current location and still is because it is not large enough. If moved to Springvale, there is enough land to create several different fenced areas so the dogs can be moved around and an area can be closed down when grass wears out and needs to be reseeded. Councilman Jeff Ezell said if it was moved to Springvale, there is no parking. And the lack of safety there was a concern cited by each of the eight speakers.
Vice Mayor David Tyler told the council that he was split. He personally uses the dog park and can walk there from his house. The present park has running water and sufficient parking. He also mentioned that Camp Jordan would be a good location, but when there are big events there, he would avoid going because of the crowds and hard to find parking. During the summer, there are tournaments held there every weekend. He said that he likes Springvale because it is an under-utilized part of town. Now, its condition is a disaster, he said, with the remnants of an old homeless encampment. But this larger park would provide opportunities that are not able to be at the current location. He suggested getting local civic organizations such as the Optimist Club and people who use the park to hold a work day and revitalize the space. But the city would also have to add parking, running water, build restrooms and commit to dedicated police presence. He said he sees this as an opportunity for cleaning up the middle part of the city.
Mayor Brian Williams, who said he is an avid dog lover, was very passionate about establishing a dog park in East Ridge, along with past Council member Mike Chauncy. In 2023 the original plan was to locate it at Springvale Park. Building it was an experiment, he said, and it turned out to be amazing. “We knocked it out of the park,” he said, but the situation is that the one quarter acre park is too small. Sometimes it is so busy that people just leave, he said. Plus, it has to be closed down completely to keep grass growing when it wears out from overuse. He said the site at Springvale Park is five acres and could be divided into multiple zones, where dogs could be moved around to keep the areas green. He said the city is aware that parking, running water, lighting, security cameras and police presence would need to be added.
If it is relocated, the cost can be kept down by moving the equipment for the dog playground, the fencing and benches. A suggestion from Council member Witt was to give dog owners using the park a code to get into restrooms to keep homeless people from getting in.
City Manager Miller reiterated all the reasons that had been given for moving the park to a bigger location such as Springvale. And he noted there would be a high cost to add all needed services there.
Before voting on the motion to move the dog park, Councilman Cagle asked it there was a big hurry to do it. And he suggested creating a citizens advisory group to search for another location. If the city can find and buy five acres, said Mr. Miller, it could be very expensive in addition to all of the other things that the city would have to do to move it. He told the council he is already looking for money for the renovation of the East Ridge Community Center. The lowest bid that was received is $550,000 more than has been budgeted. A grant to relocate the dog park could be applied for but an exact location has to be in place to apply for a grant, said the city manager. The vote was tabled after he said the decision does not have to be made now.
The city will also be spending $192,770 on the new animal shelter, the lowest bid received for a sound attenuation system. It will add a sound barrier to the building to reduce noise from traveling into surrounding residential areas. A system will also be added to automatically turn off lights at night and turn on music to calm the dogs.
The police department received approval to purchase equipment. Three portable Motorola radios will be bought for $16,842, and five mobile radios used in police vehicles for $25,028. Five body-worn cameras will also be purchased for the police at the cost of $23,090. All the police equipment was planned for and included in this year’s budget. East Ridge also will be receiving a grant of $15,107 from the U./S. Department of Homeland Security for domestic preparedness. This money will reimburse the city for protective masks for the police SWAT team.
This year’s street resurfacing program includes portions of residential streets throughout the city, that are in the worst condition. The low bidder for $1,501,825 was Caldwell Paving and Grading, which was awarded the bid.
An official name was given to the city hall complex that is made up of the city hall building, library, the community center building and Pioneer Frontier Park and the public safety building. Together they will be known as the East Ridge Town Center. The newest addition to this area is the large multi-use pavilion which will now be known as “Venue 1921” in honor of the year East Ridge was founded.