Play Nice

Okay, so … calls for civility, both in this space last week and from East Hampton Town Councilman Ian Calder-Piedmonte at the start of a Springs Citizens Advisory Committee meeting last week, fell on deaf ears. So let’s be a bit more pointed about the situation at Springs Dog Park.

People get emotional about their dogs, and about their recreational facilities, and this is a situation where emotions have run rampant. It’s time for that to stop. Childish squabbling, entrenched positions and rude behavior have plagued this conversation for too long. If people cannot calmly and respectfully discuss this topic, they should stay home and just wait for the outcome.

Objectively, the Town Board has already received a reasonable set of recommendations from the Springs Park Committee. Removing invasives from the park to create more open grassland areas for dogs and owners to populate is sensible, never mind the loss of some shade. It’s better for the park’s habitat, and there’ll be lots of shade for dog owners, plus more open space for the dogs to do what they like to do: run.

And it’s truly remarkable that there’s such hostility toward the idea of a protected area where small or frail dogs — not to mention people — can be safe from larger, more aggressive dogs. It would take up a tiny bit of the park, but it would be a huge improvement for that subset of pets and people. It’s time to simply ignore the naysayers on this.

Should the park be open to all, or just town residents? This is a trickier question that really would benefit from a reasonable conversation — if that’s still possible. The fact is, the closest dog park, in Southampton Village, has a policy that excludes some dogs and owners based on behavior. An open policy means those owners and their problematic animals are welcome at the park in Springs, whether or not they live in East Hampton Town. Restricting access, generally, isn’t the best option, but it would be a reasonable step to take to protect regular visitors on both two and four legs. And it is, after all, a town facility, paid for by town taxpayers, which means the town has every right to limit access to town residents if it chooses.

What’s most worrisome is that the official conversation sets a bad example: If a group of adults is unable to show respect in a municipal setting, what does that suggest for the expectations in the dog park itself?

People, your dogs are watching: Play nice.