‘Slow Down or Stop This Locomotive’ to Move Brook Run Dog Park

A vocal standing room crowd opposed to the relocation of Brook Run Dog Park, turned out for a meeting, Tuesday evening, at All Saints Catholic Church, in Dunwoody. 

“What I would just ask is consider that people in this room took time to come out here to try to slow down or stop this locomotive,” a volunteer of the dog park said. “We don’t have to move ahead with this right now… Tell us what we can do on our end to save our dog park."

Brook Run Dog Park opened in 2006. Dunwoody Parks director Brent Walker told the crowd the city has budgeted $200,000 to move the dog park to the Brook Run Peeler Road entrance. In June 2011, Dunwoody decided the dog park should be relocated to reduce erosion and compaction of trees at its current location. Dunwoody hired Arborguard tree care specialists in 2012, which reported that 90 trees in the dog park are dead or in poor condition. Their report showed large tree roots are exposed as a result of soil erosion and damaged by pedestrian traffic and chewing by dogs. 

Privately Hired Arborists Find Trees in Good Condition

Carl Neigoot with Brook Run Dog Park Association said two residents hired two separate arborists who conducted studies that differed from Arborguard. “Both repudiate claims that the dog park environment was being harmed by the compaction of the soil and waste from the dogs,” Neigoot said.

One of the arborists found only five trees that could be described as dead or dying Neigoot added. Mayor Mike Davis and Councilman Terry Nall attended the meeting as spectators. Patch learned that late in the meeting, Davis told the crowd that 65 dead trees have already been removed from the dog park.

Laine Sweezey, president of the Brook Run Dog Park Association, said the crowd found it hard to believe so many trees could be removed and folks who use the dog park or volunteer not know about it.

Dog park volunteers have an agreement with the city that when trees are cut down, the trunks are left for the volunteers to reposition them around the dog park, she said.

The new dog park will include features such as restrooms that some say are not needed. 

“The economic issue is the cost of removing an already successful, environmentally friendly and enormously popular aspect of the city of Dunwoody. The dog park is by far the largest attractor of people to Brook Run Dog Park,” Neigoot said.

Give us your take on the relocation of Brook Run Dog Park in the comments below.