By PAUL KIRBY
Freeman staff
pkirby@freemanonline.com; twitter.com/PaulatFreeman

KINGSTON, N.Y. — Mayor Shayne Gallo and the city’s parks and recreation boss have endorsed a plan to establish an off-leash dog park at Kingston Point.

Gallo and Kevin Gilfeather attended a meeting about the park Wednesday night at the Midtown Neighborhood Center on Broadway, as did some 30 supporters of the concept.

“It is going to happen,” Gilfeather told the group, while Gallo said he will “do whatever it takes” to make the park a reality.

The Kingston Common council already has endorsed the plan, but Gallo said on Wednesday that the city must look into how the property can be designated as a dog park.

Friends of Kingston Point Dog Park, the group that organized Wednesday’s meeting, is trying to raise between $80,000 and $100,000 to create the park. It so far has raised $8,000, according to Evi Seidman, a representative of the group.

Seidman said the group hopes the park will be created this year.

Friends of Kingston Point Dog Park has said the park will be good for business and the community. The group also has said it will develop specific regulations for use of the park and that the park will not discriminate against any types of dogs. There will, however, be a ban on aggressive dogs, the group has said.



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Seidman expressed optimism on Wednesday.

“If the dog owner community gets behind it, it will happen,” she said.

When Seidman asked people at the meeting of they would participate in fundraising efforts, almost everyone indicated they would.

The proposal calls for two areas for different size dogs. One would measure about a quarter-acre and be for small dogs; the other would be about three-quarters of an acre and accommodate larger dogs.

The proposed dog park would be surrounded by a 5-foot-high black chain link fence and would have benches and water fountains.

Two members of the Common Council — President James Noble and Alderman Robert Senor, both Democrats — said this week that they still have concerns about liability and maintenance issues.

Senor, of Ward 8, said he thinks Friends of Kingston Point Dog Park should be fully responsible for maintenance of the park, though Gilfeather said not much in the way of maintenance would have to be done.

Seidman said anyone interested in helping with fundraising should contact her at (845) 399-5787 or evseidman@aol.com.

pkirby@freemanonline.com; twitter.com/PaulatFreeman

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