Dogs need a park just like children. I think that you all need to take a public vote and see what numbers you will get. Where in Augusta will this park be. Dogs are people too.
Mayor Deke Copenhaver's plan to open the Augusta Botanical Gardens as an off-leash dog park Sunday got shot down Tuesday.
Commissioners voted 6-3 with one abstention to look for a more central location.
Mr. Copenhaver had said the park would open Sunday from noon until 4:30 p.m., but several commissioners, including Jerry Brigham, questioned turning the gardens over to the dogs on Sunday afternoons because the city had invested millions of dollars in it.
Commissioner Jimmy Smith said he objected to the commission spending anything on a dog park until it gets parks in south Augusta for children to play in.
When Commissioners Don Grantham, Alvin Mason and Corey Johnson agreed that a more central location would be better, Mr. Copenhaver said he didn't know how much more of a central location they could find than in the central city.
Mr. Smith said he wanted to correct the mayor.
"The center of the city is Regency Mall," he said.
OTHER issues voted on Tuesday
RINGS AND JACKETS FOR BASKETBALL CHAMPIONS: After a ceremony honoring the Glenn Hills High School Lady Spartans basketball team for winning the 2008 Region 3-AAA Tournament Championship and the Spartans Men's Varsity basketball team for being the 2008 Region Champions and winning the 2008 AAA-Boys State Championship, commissioners voted to donate $2,000 to the teams to buy championship rings and jackets. Commissioner Joe Bowles warned his colleagues of the precedent they were setting and said a more appropriate source of funding would be the Richmond County school board. Mr. Bowles, Joe Jackson and Mr. Brigham were the only commissioners to vote against the donation.
LAND FOR A NEW FIRE STATION: After a closed-door meeting, commissioners voted 9-1 to pay $475,000 to Wayne Schultz for about an acre of land at 1054 Alexander Drive on which to build a No. 10 fire station, now located behind a Texaco station off Washington Road. Only Mayor Pro Tem Betty Beard voted against the purchase. She said the price was too high and that the city should have looked for another location on the fringe of the booming Washington Road area.
Items approved without discussion
TEEN NIGHTCLUB CURFEWS: Amending the current teen curfew ordinance, which calls for teens younger than 18 to be in by 11 p.m. on weeknights and midnight on weekends. The amendment requires teen clubs to close by 10:30 p.m. on weeknights and 11:30 p.m. on weekends.
PROJECT ACCESS AGREEMENT: A 2008 fiscal year funding agreement between the city and Richmond County Medical Society for Project Access for 2008. Richmond County received a County of Excellence award from Georgia Trend magazine for Project Access this year, a program Mr. Brigham brought to Augusta eight years ago. The project, in which local governments and community physicians provide basic medical services to low-income families, has reduced the city's contributions for such health-care costs from $7 million the year the program began to $450,000 last year.
PHINIZY SWAMP NATURE PARK: Leasing the park and educational center to Richmond County Public Facilities Inc., and the subleasing of the facilities to Southeastern Natural Sciences Academy Inc. for 50 years.
TAXI FARES FOR MASTERS WEEK: Approving a request by Augusta taxi companies for a rate increase during Masters Week this year and each Masters Week in coming years unless otherwise reset by the commission.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT: Approving 2008 agreement modifications with Operations Management International for operations of the treatment plant at a cost of $7 million.
Reach Sylvia Cooper at (706) 823-3228 or sylvia.cooper@augustachronicle.com.
Comments
Dogs need a park just like children. I think that you all need to take a public vote and see what numbers you will get. Where in Augusta will this park be. Dogs are people too.
Your can get the idiot off the commission but you can't get the idiocy out of the (remaining) commissioners. This bunch is so provincial that they've probably never been anywhere that has a dog park (ie, most all of the other significant cities in the SE).
The way to deal with the indecision on the dog park is to fence in your yard and let the dog run without a leash for a short while every day. Invite some friends over (with their dogs) and let them all run together to get a miniature version of how the park will work. The commission will need a lot of encouragement. Something other then complaining.
Dogs aren't people they are dogs!
The city of Augusta should be proud to honor the Glenn Hills State Championship team. What an accomplishment! Way to go Spartans!
Back to the dog park!!
I like PT's version of a dog park!
Mr. Smith said he wanted to correct the mayor. "The center of the city is Regency Mall," he said. The center of the city? Well, if this dilapidated hulk is the center, then does that reflect upon the rest of the city, Mr. Smith?
Here's an idea: Put your center of the city, the REGENCY MALL, to good use, and open it as an INDOOR DOG PARK. Problem solved, and another blighted area put to some use anyway. You can buy kibbles 'n' such at the state of the art K Mart nearby.
If this would have been Westside Joe, Bowles and Brigham would have voted to give them the money... Augusa is Backwards.
Nothing wrong with a dog park, but unleashed I have a problem with that, your dog may be friendly to you, but to others he may not, so if the dog attacks someone (while running free), then what...
There are some trees and plants in the Gardens that are very expensive. Are ya'll familiar with what the byproducts from dogs will do to those plants? Money for Jackets and Rings for a high school team. There goes another budget buster. They can't pay for what they have now and they are setting a precedent to buy them for the next 100 years.
The Regency Mall as a dog park?! I can see it now, thugs and punks with pit bulls, boomin hoopties, and drug deals galore.
You better have special forces with autos and german shepards patroling everywhere! Doesn't that sound wonderful?
Again, I agree with PT. I have a fever.
I wonder who abstained this time and why?
You're off to a good start today, Hypo.
Come on, Augusta!!! Grow up and be a REAL CITY! Even Athens has a dog park. You are doing nothing but displaying your penchant for backwardness time and again!!!
The Botanical Gardens ARE in the center of the city, just sitting there, going to waste....what a shame.
Boiled Peanuts: In REAL CITY dog parks, owners clean up after their dogs. There is no worry to the precious trees...
in REAL CITY parks, owners carry towels to wipe off fire hydrants and plants after their dogs mark them. How pleasant REAL CITY life is.
I don't think having a dog park with unleased dogs is a bright idea. Not everyone's dog is trained. When you mix an unleased trained dog with a pitbull/rotweiller that's not trained and children, you're asking for disaster. I hope the city is ready to be sued because I can see it happening already.
I don't know about a dog park, but I love to walk around the track myself when I'm down at the RiverWalk. It's wonderful to utilize for what seems to be about a 3 mile walk!
Amen to that What a Day.
Luckily my neighborhood has a park that allows dogs and provides baggies for owners to clean up behind their pets. A dog park would be a great idea, there is so much land in the area that isn't yet developed that could be used as a park. I'm just glad that this commission is actually accomplishing something.
Wow. You all talk like the idea of a dog park is a brand new concept and Augusta is the first city ever to do such a thing. Dog parks are nothing new. Hundreds of other cities already have dog parks and have been successful. There are approximately 14 dog parks just in the Metro-Atlanta area alone. Macon has a dog park. Athens has a dog park. Why is it that dog parks seem to work in every other city that has them, but if Augusta gets one everyone thinks it will become a place for child maulings, dog fights, and ankle deep poop piles?
Jackfruit: For your information I was zoned and still live in ARC's district. As for giving handouts to nonprofits and schools, I always have and always will remaiun consistent in voting agianst, check your facts. I must say that your reference to Westside has a racist tone.
There are better things they can do with money than to develop a dog park. Walk fido at home or in your neighborhood. With the price of gas and food, too many people are going broke trying to take care of their families. How about assisting a homeless person with getting a place to live or a bite to eat instead of a wonderland for dogs. Besides, I've seen them up north and they didn't work so well. The kids got attack trying to rub someone else's dog and yes, poop was all over the place because people didn't clean up behind them. It's not a good idea and yes, I have a dog.
vemerick, seems like we know Augustans don't we. I have seen people walking their PitBulls and allowing them to poo in the park with no intention of cleaning up the mess. The same goes for dogs marking. The Botanical Garden area is a very delicate area which should be protected. Its delicate condition was witnessed this past summer when the city of Augusta let the garden suffer with no water during one of the hottest summers of recollection. The results were many of the delicate and expensive plants died. Maybe we should let the dogs finish off what a careless city has begun.
You go Joe! Thanks for voting against the dole out of funds on frivolous things that should be funded by fund raisers or school sports funds. I can't understand why a city would think it necessary to fund sports heroes. What about academic heroes? Or art heroes? Let's get real and quit using public funds for such frivolous ventures.
New York city is looking more like a great place to live while Augusta just keeps rounding the next part of the toliet bowl flowing like a swift boat right straight into the nearest septic tank.....Oh and as far as Westside goes it just went down the drain with the rest....
And once again, a blanket approval showing favoritism from the committees - 450,000 to Project Access which is a smoke screen program. Money goes to a nice building and salaries - not to the health care as it claims.
comment-terry.. Love your name, cute. But the botanical gardens is NOT in the center of the city. It is on the boundary right next to the Savannah River and North Augusta, SC. The center of the city since consolidation is somewhere around Regency Mall. Even if the city was not consolidated, the center would not be at the botanical gardens.
Thank you ColdBeer, I guess someone besides me doesn't care to go out and dig up the urine-soaked dirt to save the rose bushes.
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