Neighbors,

While I’m sure most are excited about the future nature park I’m afraid not all of the details have been properly disclosed to the community and the HOA board aren’t properly exercising their fiduciary duties. All of the owners aren’t on Facebook and a lot them them I’ve spoke to have no idea of what’s going on nor do they agree with it. 

The dog park everyone is so excited about will share a fence line with myself and my neighbor. I was initially told it would be offset 10-20 feet (which I still had a problem with) but yesterday I saw they cleared the area directly next to my fence. This is a major safety concern, health concern, quality of life and privacy concern and a violation of my rights as a homeowner. While I understand the property outside of my fence isn’t legally mine the homes in this neighborhood are at least 10-20 feet apart for those same reasons. Why is a dog park being allowed to border a fence without any say of the owners who live there? 

The nature park has plenty of acreage. It would be safer and more practical to reverse the location of the dog parks and have them as far away from residential homes to protect the safety and security of all. When I asked who I could meet with to plead my case I was told the rest of the board wouldn’t care about my concerns because they’ve worked so hard on the ideas. Volunteer hours spent have nothing to do with my concerns as someone who pays their mortgage, taxes and HOA bill ON TIME. 

Who foots the bill when someone throws a frisbee and breaks a window? What happens when someone’s ball lands in my yard and I don’t throw it back? Do they come into the yard to get it? What happens when the amount of stray dogs increases due to the new smell of urine and feces and a dog attacks my daughter in her wheelchair (who is also allergic to dogs) or me when I’m taking groceries out of my car? Who do I sue? 

This is absolutely ridiculous and the I don’t think the safety and liability factors have been considered. In no way am I saying the community shouldn’t have a dog park but I don’t think it should be feet from someone’s home and span their entire lot. Myself and my neighbor will not be able to enjoy our back yards nor will we be able to sell our properties. Let’s be honest, would you want a dog park inches from your home? Would you buy a house that shares the fence line of a dog park? 

Lastly, I was told we as home owners have no say over this “park” because the HOA board didn’t need our vote for “community improvement”. No where did I see that in the governing documents and I’d like someone to highlight the specific paragraph that says that. Who is footing the bill for this? How much is this costing us as homeowners? How much will our bill increase when they have to amend the insurance policy to include liability for a dog park? Why are they doing all of this with no money in the budget for maintenance? Did you know homeowner are supposed to maintain? What happens when there is an increased amount of homeless people in our neighborhood because they’re sleeping on the new benches or using the pavilion restrooms? 

I have a meeting with the board 23 May 22 and would greatly appreciate your signature in support of relocating the proposed community dog parks to the opposite area of the nature park away from residential areas. 

Thank you!