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Residents urge Decatur to preserve Oakhurst dog park as master plan proceeds; staff cites stream‑buffer constraint
Summary
Hundreds of residents petitioned against a proposed reduction to the Oakhurst dog park in the draft master plan; speakers described the park as a unique community hub and urged commissioners to pause and redesign to retain more open off‑leash space. Staff said a 25‑foot stream buffer on the site will require some setback, but that the master plan is conceptual and unfunded and that more community input will follow.
A sustained public comment period at the Oct. 20 Decatur City Commission meeting focused on the draft Oakhurst Park master plan and a proposed reconfiguration of the park’s off‑leash dog area. Several residents said the consultants’ draft would shrink the existing dog park substantially and argued that would destroy a treasured community amenity.
Jeff Gephart, who presented measurements and visual aids, estimated the current off‑leash flat area at about 48,000 square feet (≈1.1 acres) and said the consultants’ plan appeared to reduce large, usable open areas and redirect paths and a pavilion through the meadow. Dozens of speakers — including David Stein, Candace Brower, Kevin Linehan and many others — described the park as a social hub where neighbors meet and dogs run; speakers recounted improved neighborhood safety and frequent cross‑neighborhood use and urged commissioners to preserve most of the flat open area.
A resident organizer said a petition opposing the current master‑plan reduction has collected more than 540 signatures and asked the commission to pause the plan and return to the consultants with community feedback. Several commenters noted that many users were not aware of the draft plan until recently and asked for additional outreach and time for input.
Assistant City Manager/Public Works staff responded that the draft master plan is conceptual and unfunded and that a 25‑foot stream buffer is required where the park includes a detention creek; the buffer, staff said, will require some setback of active areas regardless of master‑plan decisions. Staff committed to additional community input during detailed design, and commissioners said they would take extra time to study alternatives before final adoption.
Why it matters: Residents say the dog park’s scale and character are unique and irreplaceable; staff say environmental regulations (stream buffer) and competing maintenance and program needs require tradeoffs. The master plan can guide future grant and capital requests but does not itself authorize construction — any implementation would require funding, permits and further community engagement.
Next steps: Staff and consultants will incorporate public feedback, clarify stream‑buffer constraints and return proposed revisions; no funded construction schedule was announced.
