Riverfront Project Delays Dog-Friendly Area in Horner Park

By Dani Chung

Dogs can be seen running off-leash in Horner Park’s many baseball fields and grassy expanses on most summer days. But current leash laws in Chicago don’t allow for dogs to be off-leash outside of officially sanctioned dog-friendly areas.

To negate complaints against off-leash dogs, the park’s advisory council decided to propose a dog-friendly area. That was approximately 2 years ago at the request of community members, Dog Friendly Area Committee co-chair Erica Beutler said.

The long process began last summer by defining a section of land for the dog-friendly area and petitioning neighborhood residents. However, the 14-year-old Horner Riverbank Restoration Project received federal funding earlier this year and overlapped the proposed dog park, halting the project for a few months.

The Riverfront Project will create a split-railing fence and natural habitat along the river, which right now is hidden from the park by dense trees and a chain link fence. This riverfront restoration already exists on the east side.

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The dog park committee approached the park district with a request to retain a part of the land the riverfront project would have encompassed, Beutler said.

The area—approximately one acre—is on the southwest corner of the park (along Irving Park Road, between North California Avenue on the west and the North Branch Chicago River on the east).

Although this dog-friendly area will be smaller than the original proposed area (of 1.8 acres), it will still be large compared to most Chicago dog parks, which are usually less than a quarter of an acre, according to the park district website.

“Big dogs need to be able to run around. You can’t throw a Frisbee in a quarter-acre space,” Beutler said.

But some residents, at community meetings, are concerned about the loss of natural environment. The Chicago Park District mandates that dog parks cannot consist of natural grass but of a synthetic, canine-friendly turf or concrete pavers.

However, Beutler assures, “It can be a pretty park. It doesn’t have to be a stinky, concrete slab. The park can be integrated into the natural landscape and still be in line with (Chicago Park District) regulations.”

Once the location is approved, the advisory council must raise all the funds through donations. The Park District said a minimum of $150,000 is needed for the park.

When at least half the funds are raised, the design and planning of the park may begin.

The council is trying to time the construction of the park to coincide with the that of the Riverfront restoration project to create the least amount of disturbance for park users.

Beutler hopes that final approval by the Park District will come in the fall.

"Support for the dog park is there," she said.