Yates dog park location still a topic of debate

PENN YAN--The location for a proposed community dog park in Penn Yan is still up in the air. The Penn Yan village board discussed potential sites during their Tuesday, Jan. 19 meeting, where they suggested the site be located along Cherry Street. However, the 20/20 Vision Committee had previously recommended the park be located at Indian Pines Park. 20/20 member Brian Zerges said this was due to feedback from a community survey, which indicated a strong support for the Indian Pines Park Location.
Mayor Leigh MacKerchar said the village's parks and recreation committee did not feel a dog park was the best use of the area at Indian Pines Park. He also noted there was more space available for the park at the Cherry Street site. MacKerchar said people heading to the Cherry Street dog park would be able to utilize the Keuka Lake Outlet Trail, adding it is a more walkable location than Indian Pines Park.
The six proposed locations the survey listed included both Cherry Street and Indian Pines Park, along with a vacant field along the east side of Route 14A south of Clark Road, a site located to the right of the Penn Yan boat launch, an area behind the ball fields on Elm Street and a site between Elm Street and the baseball fields across from Lakeview Cemetery. Zerges said he spoke for his father Rolf Zerges, who is head of the 20/20 dog park project committee, at the Tuesday meeting, as he was out of town at the time. Despite the village's recommendation, Cherry Street has not been officially selected as the dog park site, with MacKerchar noting the 20/20 group will be meeting with the parks and recreation committee next month to further discuss the issue.
"The dog park committee is going to get together and give serious consideration to the village's desire to have it at the Cherry Street location," Zerges said. "That is what they are doing right now. They are stepping back and getting together and looking at the Cherry Street location to determine how and if it can best work for this community."
Zerges said the 20/20 group would like to get the project underway quickly, adding he would like to see the issue regarding the location resolved soon. He said without the village's support, the Indian Pines Park site is likely off the table. Zerges noted this project is a partnership between the village and the community, adding nothing can be done without village approval and support.
"This is one of the easier projects on the 20/20 agenda," Zerges said. "Hopefully we can get this project complete by summer. The timetable is dictated by the village and things outside our control, but in reality, if all the stars line up, things should move quickly."
Zerges said some of the items that would be needed for the park once a site is determined include things like fencing and benches. He added the group will also determine if they want to put a pavilion in, as well as a different surface other than grass at the entryway to avoid issues with mud. He described the project as very simplistic compared to some of the group's other plans such as the boardwalk connecting the two lakefront parks and Mennonite buggy sheds throughout the village. Zerges noted the village has been very supportive of the 20/20 committee's work, noting the current debate is merely a "respectful disagreement."