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Neighbors ask council to stop Burnet Woods dog park construction, allege procurement irregularities
Summary
A neighborhood resident asked Cincinnati City Council to halt bulldozing for a dog park at Burnet Woods, saying private fundraising requirements were not met, accessibility features were removed, and that procurement irregularities and conflicts of interest require investigation.
A resident and neighborhood advocate asked Cincinnati City Council on May 21 to halt imminent construction of a dog park at Burnet Woods amid allegations of procurement irregularities, removed accessibility features and a private fundraising requirement that she said was never met.
Cynthia McCarthy told council she had spoken against the project more than two years earlier, when the park board requested $300,000 in city funding for a universally accessible dog park at the Brookline entrance to Burnet Woods with “a prerequisite of raising $150,000 in private funding.” She said the private money was never raised, the plans were reduced and accessibility features removed, and bulldozing was scheduled to start that week.
McCarthy alleged procurement irregularities: she said all bids were rejected but that an entity named Proust was then invited to assist in altering plans and awarded the narrowed scope without a new bidding process. She described Proust as sitting “on the funding arm of the park board,” raising a conflict-of-interest concern. She also said the park board lacked environmental expertise and that neighbors within 185 feet of the planned dog park had not been adequately heard.
Her request to council was specific: “I am asking that today, you put a stop to the Burnett Woods dog Park construction until the irregularities surrounding the project have been investigated thoroughly.”
Discussion versus action: The statement was part of public comment; council did not take a recorded vote or issue an immediate order to stop work during this meeting. The speaker asked council to halt construction and to investigate. No formal motion or staff direction was recorded on the public record at this meeting.
Ending: The speaker urged council to investigate alleged conflicts of interest and procurement irregularities and to preserve old-growth green space, arguing that removal of trees and diminished accessibility options were contrary to public-interest and environmental stewardship.
