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Dog park users press township for drainage, gates and long‑term maintenance fixes
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Summary
Several residents urged the board to address long‑standing drainage problems, broken gates and management issues at the Canton Dog Park, warning repeated flooding will damage new concrete and asking for a durable maintenance plan tied to nearby development and park upgrades.
Multiple residents and regular users of the Canton Dog Park spoke during public comment, urging the township to address chronic drainage and maintenance problems and fix broken gates and safety issues.
Sarah (a dog park representative) said meetings with the supervisor and leisure services director left the group unconvinced and asked the board to develop a lasting drainage solution before new concrete or other repairs are installed. "If you don't deal with the drainage issue, it's going to destroy all that beautiful new concrete that you're going to put in for us," she said.
Susan Schwandt, representing dog park users, said the mud-prone conditions disproportionately affect small-dog owners and that resolving drainage would reduce conflicts that sometimes resulted in police responses. She argued the park is an asset to Cherry Hill Village and nearby housing (including the proposed Everbrook development) and urged durable fixes that support community and economic goals.
Another commenter raised safety concerns about gates that have been broken through the winter, noting an elderly dog might be exposed to uncontrolled entries. Speakers asked for a concrete plan and timeline. Township staff and trustees thanked commenters, pledged to work with parks and leisure staff (John Lefevre and Emma were named) and said staff had recently met with dog-park users; no formal vote or funding commitment was made during the meeting.
The board closed public comments and directed staff to follow up with the dog park group and report back on drainage and gate repairs.
