tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167519580792566980.post1831951556947477492..comments2023-10-01T11:04:12.429-05:00Comments on Sloopin - A South Loop Blog: A Dog Park at 16th and Wabash?Sloopyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03513112726608015138noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167519580792566980.post-34432791482104408342012-02-06T23:59:53.564-06:002012-02-06T23:59:53.564-06:00The HOMEOWNERS at 1720 South Michigan
are rude and...The HOMEOWNERS at 1720 South Michigan<br />are rude and think they are entitled to everything which includes the dog park but will do nothing to support the park.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167519580792566980.post-82913566379484814912011-10-12T10:56:41.841-05:002011-10-12T10:56:41.841-05:00I understand everyone's issues with noise and ...I understand everyone's issues with noise and clean-up. I am in favor of a robust dog park built at this proposed location because I believe there are not enough dog parks. First, let me clarify what I am talking about in regards to a dog park, not some cement slab that is an eye sore but a state of the art area with grass that does not become an eye sore. I agree some of these dog parks are eye sores.<br /><br />Second, there are not enough dog parks because I believe people equate open green space to dog parks. What happens is bad dog owners allow their dogs to go any where which leads to health issues. A dedicated DFA would be benefical to the community and dog owners. <br /><br />Lastly, dog owners and non-dog owners can co-exist. If you look at the new designs of this park you see enclosed stage at cost of 4 million for the park. If you are complaining about noise imagine concerts going on there. And if there is not a dog park there, do you think dog owners still won't go there? <br /><br />Chicago is a world class city and prides itself on open green spaces for all. I imagine young families and dog owners alike will appreciate a park with a large DFA.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167519580792566980.post-45581027959449665812011-04-18T17:43:55.542-05:002011-04-18T17:43:55.542-05:00My city put a dog park 120 feet from my bedroom wi...My city put a dog park 120 feet from my bedroom window. From spring to fall, I can no longer find enough peace in the daytime to nap. Some days I am pulling my hair out. These dogs bark at me when I stand in my back yard, while owners are reading newspaper. Barking is not just any noise. It is a special form of noise pollution (that's why most cities have a special ordinance against barking/howling dogs. There is a quiet hour here and there, but most of the day, barking is almost continuous, with as many as 15 or more dogs going at it. I was never notified of the city's plans to build the dog park, and was suprised when I saw people building it. To my astonished inquiries, they respond..."oh no, the dogs won't bark". 8 years later I'm sick of it, as are other neighbors to the park. All the city has done for me is place "no excessive barking signs" in the park, but the dogs can't read, and most of the owners don't care. Let me know where you live so I can bring my two dogs by to bark at your backyard.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167519580792566980.post-15901230733758441952010-11-03T20:48:32.880-05:002010-11-03T20:48:32.880-05:00I live in Edison Park on the northside by Brooks P...I live in Edison Park on the northside by Brooks Park and we are involved in a huge controversy. There is a local dog group trying to get a dog park installed in our park and there are a majority of park users (dog owners included) who are against a dog park and want their concerns listened to. We have formed a group in opposition to the DFA (dog friendly area) because this particular group has insisted on bullying their way into the park. We collected over 200 signatures on petitions and sent representatives weekly to our alderman's office to complain. So far, it has held them off. After visiting several DFA's in Chicago, many property owners decided this was not something that would increase the value of our park-facility updates and programs would be better. We live in a neighborhood where people have more than ample yard space to group up with neighbors to run their dogs. Our park is very run down and the facilities are in need of updates-yet somehow our alderman found $126,000. to consider installing a DFA (glorified cement slab over existing green space-with chain link fence). One other thing-the dog group plays dirty, they have been bullying the neighborhood by calling for other dog owners to come to Brook's to run their dogs off leash baiting people to call the police, then when enough calls are made because some people have felt threatened, they put out flyers saying the only way to control the off leash problem (and the unnecessary and expensive calls to CPD) is to install a dog park! Yea-these are nice people! If you are going to fight this-it is like fighting city hall-you have to work really hard!! Many people in my neighborhood have dogs and have been to city dog parks and have described them as worse looking than "Gitmo" I guess green space doesn't matter anymore!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167519580792566980.post-25783249678534724062010-09-03T18:13:07.430-05:002010-09-03T18:13:07.430-05:00To September 1, 2010 6:49 PM
Anonymous said... ...To September 1, 2010 6:49 PM <br /> Anonymous said... <br />----------------------------------<br />Just curious, but how do you guys know this is jeff's (prairie pointe president) intention? <br /><br />I can totally see him doing this, and then using the proceeds from it for the benefit of a select few--namely the board members. Everyone else here at Prairie Pointe would get shafted, and they wouldn't even know what hit them. Nothing is discussed with the residents until it is already done or until it has been approved at the next board meeting. In all the places I have lived, I have never seen a condo board approach matters in as much of a self-serving and hypocritical manner than some of these board members here feel they have the right to do. <br />---------------------------------<br /><br />Regarding removing the Park at <br />16th & Indiana (Prairie Pointe) and making it a parking lot, yes, he is already doing it behind your back. He approached our board at East Side Lofts and they are not in favor of it because it is basically a parking lot scam. <br /><br />I was told by someone in Prairie Pointe that he has had plans all along and was not showing them to even residents who are each part owner the park. There is something going on there that you should get on right away.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167519580792566980.post-79903262449536173512010-09-02T20:46:39.260-05:002010-09-02T20:46:39.260-05:00I agree with the comments that point out that dogs...I agree with the comments that point out that dogs destroy parks/grass/green space. My balcony overlooks the park on the northeast corner of 16th and Indiana. The fencing along the south side of the park, adjacent to 16th street, is set back off of the sidewalk by about 4 feet. Initially, this area was seeded for grass just like the rest of the park. However, this entire stretch of land has been absolutely killed by dogs pissing and dumping all over it. Trust me, I see it from my kitchen window every morning and evening. Lazy dog owners can't even get their dogs to wait another 15 seconds to get to the nearby dog run. Further, almost all these dogs piss all over this stretch of land - which is why the "grass" looks horrific and will never grow in. It's worse in the winter. The snow mounds are yellow and covered in feces. There is no way I would ever support a single penny of my tax dollars going to a public park for dogs and their lazy owners.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167519580792566980.post-31173505758796220832010-09-02T08:34:36.505-05:002010-09-02T08:34:36.505-05:00Isn't that Amish Market only like once every c...Isn't that Amish Market only like once every couple months?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167519580792566980.post-34363010792301473502010-09-01T21:53:07.440-05:002010-09-01T21:53:07.440-05:00Just curious, but how do you guys know this is jef...Just curious, but how do you guys know this is jeff's (prairie pointe president) intention? <br /><br />I can totally see him doing this, and then using the proceeds from it for the benefit of a select few--namely the board members. Everyone else here at Prairie Pointe would get shafted, and they wouldn't even know what hit them. Nothing is discussed with the residents until it is already done or until it has been approved at the next board meeting. In all the places I have lived, I have never seen a condo board approach matters in as much of a self-serving and hypocritical manner than some of these board members here feel they have the right to do.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167519580792566980.post-11698341981384955832010-09-01T18:49:43.530-05:002010-09-01T18:49:43.530-05:00Last anon, there is an Amish market in the True Ro...Last anon, there is an Amish market in the True Rock lot to the north and vacant condos and retail spots a block north. A park would give a boost to this stretch of Wabash as it gets kind of desolate immediately south, and it would certainly make 1620 S Michigan look more attractive.<br /><br />Previous anon, are you suggesting that dogs and dog owners are collaborating in painting the town yellow?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167519580792566980.post-85642250266089367932010-09-01T12:05:23.250-05:002010-09-01T12:05:23.250-05:00I agree that we need more green space in the sloop...I agree that we need more green space in the sloop. However, no dog parks are "green." It's an oxymoron. Dogs crap and piss all over the place. Any green space in a dog park will be yellow, muddy, and brown within months of opening. Waste of public money (even if it is one cent!).<br /><br />Someone commented that "at least a dog park is better than an abandoned lot." While that may be true (depending on who you ask), why is it that the choice for this spot is either (a) abandoned lot, or (b) dog park? Why not something else? Say, townhomes, single family homes, or row houses? Commercial! Retail! Dining! Farmers Market?! Etc?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167519580792566980.post-45038733612289472032010-09-01T10:50:09.655-05:002010-09-01T10:50:09.655-05:00Not to stir up broader controversy, but I am a dog...Not to stir up broader controversy, but I am a dog-lover who does not currently own a dog. I live in a condo and feel that it would be cruel to keep a dog in that environment. That being said, I have watched my friend's Lab a few times. While he lives in a 3BR townhome, it still seemed like poor treatment to keep an animal of that size in those conditions. Keep in mind I grew up with many dogs, however, we had the appropriate space/yard to make it comfortable for the animals.<br /><br />What is the dog owner's take on this? It seems like there are many more large dogs than small ones in the city. Why do people opt for large dogs when inside and outside space is limited? It's too bad there aren't more condos that do not allow animals.MarkChicagohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08776136299098724542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167519580792566980.post-1598554288889873852010-09-01T08:17:52.195-05:002010-09-01T08:17:52.195-05:00Dogs and their owners turn "green spaces"...Dogs and their owners turn "green spaces" into "yellow spaces.". Look at the patches of dog-piss-stained grass all over this neighborhood!!!<br /><br />Even if you pick-up your dog's crap, you do nothing when your dog takes a leak on the lawn. Right? I've never seen a dog owner take a big bucket of water and dilute the patch of grass that Fido just pissed all over.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167519580792566980.post-24298679112850937082010-08-31T22:52:08.858-05:002010-08-31T22:52:08.858-05:00Park, parking, what's the difference? It'...Park, parking, what's the difference? It's just three letters!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167519580792566980.post-21530829543483591352010-08-31T15:58:24.381-05:002010-08-31T15:58:24.381-05:00To Anonymous August 26, 2010 3:20 PM
The 16th &a...To Anonymous August 26, 2010 3:20 PM <br /><br />The 16th & Wabash is slotted for a Park including dog friendly area. <br /><br />However, at 16th & Indiana, their is a privatly owned park that is publically accessible. The Prairie Point president and Friends of the Park are pushing to allow a parking lot to go in there, although it is restricted to park only. Go figure.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167519580792566980.post-74478769971803370982010-08-30T22:32:33.810-05:002010-08-30T22:32:33.810-05:00It's amusing how many people would collectivel...It's amusing how many people would collectively punish people they do not know based on circumstantial evidence. I can't stand dogs, but from my experience the South Loop is no worse than any other neighborhood. It's far better than Wrigleyville, for example, where the dogs have won and humans dare not set foot in any grass (though this could be because we have very little grass along streets). Wouldn't confining dogs to one park allow us non-dog owners to better enjoy the human-centric parks and sidewalks of the neighborhood?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167519580792566980.post-66195552079293913512010-08-30T20:30:02.806-05:002010-08-30T20:30:02.806-05:00No. Dog. Park. Enough said.
Dog owners in this...No. Dog. Park. Enough said.<br /><br />Dog owners in this neighborhood should be ashamed of themselves. Not even the ones that pick up their poop obey the rules regarding leashing of dogs. FYI: dogs are NOT allowed to run free in the park at 14th and Indiana!!! READ THE SIGNS!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167519580792566980.post-56923535770329217302010-08-26T22:16:26.232-05:002010-08-26T22:16:26.232-05:00Prairie Pointe is a few blocks to the east. The d...Prairie Pointe is a few blocks to the east. The development immediately to the the east of the proposed park is 1620 S Michigan Ave. Are you sure you're thinking of the same park?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167519580792566980.post-76043465529043005882010-08-26T15:20:05.393-05:002010-08-26T15:20:05.393-05:00Regarding 16th Street Parking Lot and Comment from...Regarding 16th Street Parking Lot and Comment from Anonymous on August 19, 2010 9:20 PM<br /><br />who said "relax people the 16th street park is not turning into a parking lot since my building owns it and it would have to be voted on by my building, it was voted down."<br /><br />You might want check and confirm, because your Prairie Point Board President is pushing the Alderman to approve this without any community review to make this into a parking lot.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167519580792566980.post-47381242066604372452010-08-19T21:20:46.029-05:002010-08-19T21:20:46.029-05:00relax people the 16th street park is not turning i...relax people the 16th street park is not turning into a parking lot since my building owns it and it would have to be voted on by my building, it was voted down. But your welcome for paying the taxes and maintenance on it and the dog park for everyone to use!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167519580792566980.post-30946913269354339472010-08-19T20:34:33.916-05:002010-08-19T20:34:33.916-05:00Funny thing: I wasn't aware that there are an...Funny thing: I wasn't aware that there are any "non"-dog parks or green spaces in the entire south loop. Why? Because there are dogs (and dog feces) EVERYWHERE! Even all over the sidewalks. I am not in favor of rewarding dog owners with any more designated public space. They don't deserve it. Dog parks belong in the suburbs.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167519580792566980.post-40810010917223592222010-08-17T00:12:31.957-05:002010-08-17T00:12:31.957-05:00How about a dog Run in the Mark Twain Park where t...How about a dog Run in the Mark Twain Park where there is huge space on the north side and parallel to the St Charles tracks (Park is at 15th & Prairie, North Side of tracks)? That seems to be where all the Dog owners illegally hangout anyway, letting their Dogs run off leash in the Children's part of the park; this would move them to the 10 yard run that parallels the tracks around the bend. Fence it in, and it would be cheap and easy, and hidden.<br /><br />As to the 16th street Park and small Dog area, yes, it is a private park, but it is a zoned 'publically accessible open space' that has to stay open to CPD rules. Word I get is that the Board and Friends of the Park is splitting the community trying to turn it into a parking lot, and the community is pissed about it, as it is zoned a park. Why would anyone want to remove park space when their is not any available anyway?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167519580792566980.post-13443153472799456932010-08-16T18:53:05.491-05:002010-08-16T18:53:05.491-05:00The reader raises a number of issues:
First, th...The reader raises a number of issues: <br /><br />First, that there are three dog “parks” within a few blocks of each other. One is at Coliseum Park (3 blocks), a private one is at 16th & Prairie (2 blocks), and one is at Grant Park (~3/4 miles from 1620 S. Michigan). Only Grant Bark Park can be called a ‘park’, however. The first two are no more than ~15 feet wide, and would better be considered dog ‘runs’ that provide room for butt sniffing, peeing & pooing, and a rudimentary fetch completely unsatisfactory for any active dog. Although the reader is a dog owner, one can infer that the dog owned is quite small! <br /><br />Second, is that dog parks are places of constant barking and noise ‘that comes with a dog park’. This is just not true, as a visit to any of the local dog parks would quickly prove. Dogs bark when they are miserable, frustrated, tied up, beaten, angry or defensive, and they bark, at home, when they sense an intrusion into their territory (just as blog readers do, to dash off an email to the local blog). But dog parks are not places where dogs are generally miserable, frustrated, angry, defensive, or guarding. Dogs in dog parks are frolicking, fetching and having fun – and frolicking fetching and happy dogs don’t bark (and if at all, the occasional happy dog bark annoys no one). The background hum of traffic, equipment, trains and people in South Loop Chicago (as any of us who has stayed with friends in a small town or vacationed in the woods knows) is a significant and constant element of our lives. The sound of happy dogs would likely be welcomed. <br /><br />Third, is that the reader will have to endure the smell of feces and urine because ‘many’ owners do not pick up. By far most owners pick up after their dogs. The few (not ‘many’) who do not are certainly a problem. This can be addressed a number of ways – by making it as easy as possible and educating such ‘poo cowards’ to pick up, making bags and receptacles accessible and obvious, and by designing the park from the ground up so that it’s easy for the community support group to maintain and clean (e.g. by including built in facilities to easily rinse park surfaces). But the problem of poo and pee exists whether or not a park is present - there’s certainly more urine and feces in the existing undeveloped area than would be present if it were developed into a park that the dog community treated with pride and respect. A new dog park would be an improvement. <br /><br />Fourth is the old ‘property values’ canard. Enough said. But there’s an important point to be made – from what I have heard, the initiative for this park is that it is to be a jewel, something well designed, thoughtfully designed, and something that really adds to the neighborhood. If any of you have been to the small dog park at Lake Shore East (at 450 E. Benton Place) you’ve seen a beautifully designed space that blends seamlessly into the park there. This is an idea I think that motivates those behind the Wabash & 16th proposal. (In contrast, while Grant Bark Park is functional it is largely just an open asphalt slab. This is hopefully not the vision!) <br /><br />Finally, some numbers. There are thousands of dogs, and thousands of people who love their dogs, living in the South Loop. They have 0.4 acres at Grant Bark Park where they can (legally) ‘run free’. That’s it. The tennis courts and skate park adjacent to Grant Bark Park total ~1.6 acres, four times the area of the dog park. The ball fields north of and east of the park total almost 12 acres, thirty times the area of the dog park. There are playgrounds at Mark Twain, Coliseum, Cottontail, & Roosevelt parks, and others, and children can run free in acres of open space there and in the green areas along the lake. Sure, if kids need more space to play, then we should work to make it available - Ping Tom park has just been expanded north of 18th, for example. But there is also a need for a large off leash park in the South Loop. The proposal to build this park in the open space at Wabash & 16th should be welcomed.dfreymannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03513053910709064611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167519580792566980.post-52476502317201336572010-08-16T11:50:49.313-05:002010-08-16T11:50:49.313-05:00I've lived in the neighoborhood for 8 years, a...I've lived in the neighoborhood for 8 years, and that lot has been abandoned that whole time. The idea of a nicely maintained dog park in this part of the South Loop appeals to me, and I don't have a dog. I think Coliseum is too small and I like it much better as a people park. Grant Park Bark is far from this area in the winter and for small dogs or for people with dogs and small children. The 16th and Indiana space is privately owned and not a City lot.Debnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167519580792566980.post-78790807106959187502010-08-14T21:01:02.117-05:002010-08-14T21:01:02.117-05:00It makes me sad to read some of the comments on th...It makes me sad to read some of the comments on this blog. <br />1. There will always be rude and inconsiderate dog owners who do not clean up after their dogs. As a dog owner I wish this didn't happen. However, I also wish people didn't smash bottles on the ground, or get angry that a pedestrian dare to cross the street when they are in such a hurry to drive away from the stop sign. There are rude people in the world and in the SL, let's stop blaming the dogs.<br />2. Dogs in the city need a place to pee. I know it is frustrating to see the yellow dry spots on the lawns of SL, but what do people want instead? How about a place where dog owners can go to let their dogs go pee...oh wait, people don't want to waste unused space like that listed on this posting for that!<br />3. Yes, when it is cold, a dog walker is most likey to run to the nearest snow pile or grassy area to let their dog go. We are prone to being just as lazy sometimes as the next person and are just as sensitive to the cold as those who don't own a dog. I can't imagine that a children's play ground would get more use during those cold winter months then a dog park...most parents I know want to keep their children out of the freezing cold and snow, and wouldn't drag their children to the park more then a couple of times for a special snowman building day. <br />4. When people get angry about their dry grass and the occasional bad dog owner please keep in mind that many of the dog owners I know in the SL, myself included have rescued dogs from the shelter or pound. We are trying to provide homes to living, feeling creatures who often come from abusive or neglectful environments.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1167519580792566980.post-61203984528668176782010-08-14T16:34:26.556-05:002010-08-14T16:34:26.556-05:00To all of the dog haters: I own two dogs and I ALW...To all of the dog haters: I own two dogs and I ALWAYS pick up after my dogs, I also take my dogs to the Grant Park dog park regularly. It would be great to have a place in the neighborhood that was close enough to walk to everyday. I own Pugs and they can't handle the heat, so Grant Park is often to far to go especially with the weather we've seen this past week. As far as the original complaint about noise, do they propose we tear down the L and ban sirens? Those make far more noise than dogs barking.SouthLoopScothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09404713567220059930noreply@blogger.com