“Focus on fixing what you have”

CINCINNATI — Rachel Wells walks to Burnet Woods every day. On a recent Tuesday, she was watering flowers near the lake.

“We don’t have a garden,” she says, “so this is my first stop when I need to touch grass.”

Wells is standing on a corner of the lawn near the park entrance, where a controversial new dog park is to be built.

“Generations of people have fought to keep this as a natural environment, and I think history has been disregarded in the process,” she said. “I wouldn’t want to live next to a dog park. But it’s so much more than that.”

Wells worries the project could distract officials from fixing other problems in the park. She points to a sign that says “Path Closed” with a note scrawled on it:

“WTF? THE TRAIL HAS BEEN CLOSED SINCE 2022.”

This is one reason why the volunteer group Preserve Burnet Woods has been protesting outside park board meetings for months, claiming officials are not listening to residents.

“They want the park service to focus on fixing what they have,” Wells said.

Park spokesman Rocky Merz said officials have been lobbying hard with the community for the dog park for several years. He told WCPO there are 35 groups of active volunteers across the city’s 5,000 acres of parks that they meet with regularly.

“We are fortunate to have their energy, time and talents,” Merz said in an email.

The spokesperson declined to be interviewed on camera for this article, as did other park executives and board members.

Authorities recently approved the dog park and reduced the amount of artificial turf after complaints about environmental concerns. Funds still need to be raised to make the project a reality.

“They play an important role in promoting mental health in our community,” said Molly North, president of the park board, at a meeting Thursday. “That’s why dog ​​parks are important.”

At the meeting, North said park officials love Burnet Woods. They discussed plans to repair a bandstand in the park, one of the maintenance issues the volunteer group had complained about.

The tone was different from last month’s meeting, when park board member Susan Castellini said she was tired of the ongoing discussions about the dog park.

“I’m also sick of Burnet Woods screeching about new ideas. And excuse me for putting it this way, but it’s a thorn in my side,” she said of the volunteer group in July. “I fear that if we reject this project, the few will speak for the many.”

Those comments sparked a fierce reaction at the Burnet Woods Preserve, with Vice President Bob Hyland telling WCPO that his organization, which he said had spent 15,000 hours of work at the park, was being disbanded.

Hyland said they plan to form a new group to lobby for a change in the city’s charter and try to remove park board members they believe are too focused on development.

“The volunteers are fed up,” Hyland said. “It’s time for a change.”