Park closure limits dogs’ leash

piumini moncler scontatissimi A handful of unleashed dogs darted across the muddy trails of Robert E. Lee Park one recent afternoon, enjoying an area of the park long treasured by dog owners. piumini moncler scontatissimi

moncler saldi uomo But the dogs won’t be piumini moncler uomo coming there much moncler bambino outlet longer. moncler saldi uomo

piumini moncler Next month, city officials intend to temporarily close the southeast corner of the park, located between moncler saldi outlet Ruxton and the city line, to remove soil contaminated by dogs and to repair a pedestrian bridge. piumini moncler

piumini moncler saldi The 25 acre peninsula will be closed more than a year while the rest of the 470 acre park abutting Lake Roland will remain open, said Robert Greene, a piumini moncler outlet spokesman for the Baltimore Department of Recreation and Parks, which owns the area as part of its reservoir system. piumini moncler saldi

piumini moncler outlet The project, scheduled piumini moncler to begin last month, was delayed after the city received a smattering of calls from angry dog owners and park users. piumini moncler outlet

piumini moncler uomo Susan Lowe brings her border collie from Patterson Park in East Baltimore to run freely at Robert moncler outlet trebaseleghe E. Lee. “People won’t have any place to take their dogs anymore,” she said. piumini moncler uomo

moncler outlet online uomo Soil samples collected by the city Health Department in early October revealed high levels piumini moncler scontatissimi of fecal coliform, bacteria found in animal feces, Greene said. High levels pose a health risk for young children and animals. moncler outlet online uomo

moncler outlet “I would not want to be sitting on that soil with my 1 year old having a picnic,” said Dr. Peter L. Beilenson, the city health commissioner. “Fecal coliform causes gastrointestinal symptoms, such as moncler uomo vomiting, diarrhea and stomach discomfort.” moncler outlet

But some dog owners insist that the dog droppings aren’t the problem they say erosion is a bigger concern.

moncler outlet online shop “Ninety percent of the people here https://www.moncleroutlet-i.org make an effort to clean up after their dogs,” said Ed Smearman of Northeast Baltimore, who comes to Robert E. Lee once or twice moncler outlet a week to walk his dogs. moncler outlet online shop

Even without soil remediation, reconstruction of the pedestrian bridge requires that the small section of the park be closed, said Kim Flowers, director of the Baltimore Department of Recreation and Parks. The bridge project will cost the city about $1.2 million, she added.

moncler saldi “In order for us to maintain that portion of the park, we need to transport heavy vehicles across the bridge,” she moncler saldi uomo said. “It is unsafe to use that bridge for anything other than pedestrian traffic.” moncler saldi

moncler outlet trebaseleghe The bridge will be closed no later than Feb. 5, Greene said. moncler outlet trebaseleghe

outlet moncler Baltimore County has also participated in the project’s development and has provided $400,000 to help renovate the bridge, said Jean Tansey, chief of the capital planning and development department of the Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks. outlet moncler

moncler donna Public meetings will be held this month times and places to be determined to allow the community to discuss the temporary closing. moncler donna

moncler saldi outlet “We moncler outlet online shop delayed [the closing] because we wanted to make sure that we allowed community members and anyone who has a stake in this to voice their concerns before we moncler bambino saldi continued,” Flowers said. moncler saldi outlet

City officials say they have received complaints from both sides, including area residents who find the unleashed dogs a nuisance. According to city law, dogs must moncler outlet online uomo be on a leash.

moncler outlet serravalle “We don’t want to restrict dog walkers from coming to the park,” moncler saldi said Greene. “It’s just moncler donna a matter outlet moncler of correcting a problem in existence right now,” he said about the soil. moncler outlet serravalle

While there are standards that regulate how many fecal coliform make water unsafe, soil has no such standards, Beilenson said.

“But there is no question that there has been fouling of the soil,” piumini moncler saldi Beilenson said. “So remediation of the top soil does make sense.”

moncler uomo Before the park closes, the city will post signs warning moncler outlet serravalle of top soil contamination, he added. moncler uomo

moncler bambino saldi For many local dog owners, Robert E. Lee Park is a rare green space where their animals can run free. moncler bambino saldi

moncler bambino outlet “We’re talking about bringing people back to the city and then we don’t have any green space to go take our dogs,” said Tanya Ladigin moncler saldi of Towson, as her Dalmatian, Nikita, scampered up a muddy hillside moncler bambino outlet.