We got a note today from concerned reader and dog-lover Emily Griffey. If you love dogs, or want a say about the Parks and Recs master plan for the city, read this!

 For several months now, I’ve been taking my dog Sydney to the field at Thompson and Kensington after work.  Sydney loves to run around the field and play with other dogs.  All of the dogs are very nice and the owners are very respectful.  They clean up after their pets and enjoy camaraderie with the other dog owners and the excitement it brings their pets.  We know the field officially belongs to the school system and have been respectful of their property.  I have never seen a student or group of students on the field but know that I would clear the area if any showed up.
 
Recently the safety of the field has been compromised.  Someone has locked one of the gates permanently open so that dogs could potentially escape and run into traffic on Thompson Street.  This is not a safe situation for the dogs, who’s owners do not realize the field’s safety has been obstructed, or drivers on a relatively busy road.  Please help us make sure the field can be enjoyed safely by people and their pets.
 

Moreover, please consider using your voice to make the field a permanent dog park.  The Fan, Museum District and Malvern Area are home to many dog lovers who love their neighborhoods and their pets.  The sacrifice yard space to live in a vibrant neighborhood.  These individuals stay in a neighborhood with some of the highest home values in the city and an excellent quality of life in part because they want to meet their neighbors on frequent walks with their dogs around the block.  We would love it even more when we have a safe place for our dogs to freely roam off leash.
 
Richmond is proud of its reputation as one of the most pet friendly cities.  It is nice to have publicly supported dog parks in Byrd Park at Barker Field and at the recently opened Church Hill Park.  Certainly the Fan, Museum District and Malvern Area have enough dog lovers and tax payers to support another dog park in the vicinity.  Please consider making the field at Thompson and Kensington a permanent dog park.

  Let your voice be heard at one of the upcoming hearings on the Parks and Recreation Master Plan. 
 
   Public Meetings:
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Noon - Hickory Hill Conference Room, 3000 East Belt Blvd.
Noon - Pine Camp Arts and Community Center, 4901 Old Brook Road
6 p.m. - Hickory Hill Conference Room, 3000 East Belt Blvd.
6 p.m. - Pine Camp Arts and Community Center, 4901 Old Brook Road
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Noon - Forest Hill Park Stone House, 4100 Forest Hill Ave.
Noon - Byrd Park Roundhouse, 800 S. Davis Ave.
6 p.m. - Powhatan Community Center, 5051 Northampton St.
6 p.m. - Randolph Community Center, 1415 Grayland Ave
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Noon - Humphrey Calder Community Center, 414 N. Thompson St.
6 p.m. - Bellemeade Community Center, 1800 Lynhaven Ave.