Town Denies Village’s Request to Change Dog Park Boundaries

On Monday, the Egg Harbor Town Board denied the Village of Egg Harbor’s request to reconfigure Harbor Hounds Dog Park and extend the dog park into a portion of town-owned land.

Town Clerk Pam Kraul said the main reason for denying the request was preserving the historical significance of the property.

“It’s one of the few properties left in the town [with historical significance] and was the site of the former school,” Kraul said, referring to Egg Harbor School. Although the building was demolished in the late 1970s, the property features a memorial plaque to the former principal, Lloyd Perry, and a small playground. 

The Egg Harbor Historical Society opposed the project and wrote a letter to the town and village prior to their June 10 meeting asking them to find another location.

The reconfiguration of the dog park stems from the village’s Church Street road project. The approximately $2.6 million project will add parking along the street, sidewalks, street lighting and bike lanes. As part of that project, a stormwater-retention pond will occupy a large area of the existing dog park, severely limiting its overall size.

With the town board’s denial, the dog park’s future now rests with the village. If the village wants to use town-owned land, Kraul said it would have to return to the town with a different proposal and reconfiguration.

Village Administrator Megan Sawyer said next steps for the village include reporting the town’s decision to the Parks and Public Works Committee and village board. 

“Once they have a chance to discuss the decision, then we will get direction from them on the next steps,” Sawyer said.