The dog friendly area initiative has been in limbo for the last few months as we waited to see whether the proposed site would still be available following finalization of the United States Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) plans to restore the riverfront along Horner Park’s eastern boarder.
The riverfront project has been on the backburner for over a decade. However, the recent availability of federal funds has put it on the fast track.
While the original plans affected only the east side of the park, revised designs called for an Oak Savanna on the south side of the park, including the proposed DFA site.
The USACE and the Chicago Park District (CPD) convened a special meeting with the Horner Park Advisory Council on July 23rd. At that meeting they indicated that CPD would retain an acre of land on the southwest side of the park, within the originally designated area, that could be made into a DFA. That is, of course, subject to completion of the necessary steps for developing a DFA and final approval by CPD pursuant to the guidelines.
If you’re interested in engaging in threaded conversation about the DFA proposal, please visit the DFA blog at http://hornerparkdogpark.org/.