We are writing to express our deep concern and opposition to the proposed changes being made to our beloved dog park. We strongly believe that these changes would have a detrimental impact on the park's current users, the overall well-being of our furry companions, and future occupancy of units in this community. 

All of us chose this community and/or renewed the lease because of the size of the dog park. This amenity is the sole reason why we have adjusted to rent increases and other discomforts we experience. This isn’t the platform for listing out our frustrations so we will leave those out of this letter, but please note that we do have several that we have adjusted with, because we value what the dog park provides for our fur babies, and we value the community that we built around our dog park. In the past, we have given positive reviews of Emerson Park Apartments either online or when asked by potential tenants who regularly tour the community. Some of us have friends who wanted to move here at our recommendation. Given how tenants are treated here by Cortland, we regret to express that all of that is in our past. This is a stark contrast from how Champion, our previous owners, treated us. 

The dog park provided a safe and welcoming environment for our furry friends to exercise, socialize, and enjoy a sense of freedom. However, the changes, including downsizing, installation of artificial turf and agility equipment within the downsized park are a cause for alarm and have raised significant apprehension among the community members.

First and foremost, the change in size has significantly reduced the available space for dogs to roam and play freely. We had five dogs playing in the park on the evening of June 27th and it was observed that the downsized area not only restricted their ability to run and get physical exercise but also curtailed their ability to interact and socialize with each other. On busy days, we have well over a dozen dogs playing simultaneously at the park. The size change has caused overcrowding and will lead to conflicts amongst dogs. The downsizing simply does not work for us.

Furthermore, the downsizing fails to address the specific needs and requirements of different dog breeds. Dogs come in various sizes and energy levels, and the new design does not cater to these diverse needs. Altering the park without considering these variations is now resulting in an environment that is unsuitable for certain breeds, potentially leading to increased stress, anxiety, and even behavioral issues. Simply put – we picked Emerson Park over other communities because the dog park met our needs, and these modifications are not aligned with what we were shown at the time of lease signing. 

Secondly, dog owners do not prefer artificial turf over natural grass due to sanitation and hygiene issues. Dog owners know that no artificial drainage design works better than natural grass. Potential sanitation issues put our dogs at the risk of contracting infections. The turf also heats up in summer causing potential hazards for dog paws. 

Thirdly, there are also concerns regarding PFAS, a carcinogen prevalent in ALL artificial turf. Massachusetts and California have banned artificial turf completely. Other states are moving to litigate PFAS and it’s concerning that Cortland is moving in the opposite direction. We have sent numerous articles on the nationally discussed issue of the carcinogen PFAS and artificial turf to the Emerson Park office email, and yet, Cortland City Manager Adrian Garcia communicated that the selected grass is safe for pets because the manufacturer of the grass said so. What Cortland fails to comprehend is that PFAS is in ALL artificial turf. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)identified it as carcinogenic and is currently developing methods to test it and litigate it. Since the development of testing methods is in its initial stages, litigation in Ohio by EPA has not been implemented. California and Massachusetts have banned artificial turf. Philadelphia Phillies has confirmed deaths of six athletes due to cancer developed from proximity to artificial turf. A simple Google search using keywords such as PFAS and artificial turf will provide sufficient information on this emerging carcinogen, but it is deeply saddening and extremely concerning that despite sending research articles to Cortland, the City Manager has not taken the issue seriously and has simply repeated marketing claims made by the turf manufacturer K9Grass. Amongst the undersigned is one Environmental Engineer, and one current employee of Ohio EPA, both individuals would be willing to provide additional information on the subject if Cortland decides to put health and safety of dogs and residents first and requests it. 

Fourthly, there are concerns about the agility equipment placement. Dogs love to run, fetch balls thrown at long distance,and wrestle with each other. Regular dogs do not have much of an interest in agility training. As dog owners, we want to assertthat adding metallic equipment acts as an obstacle causing a bump hazard increasing Cortland’s liability when it comes to safety of our dogs, kids, and residents using the park. Dogs need ample space to run and with the new design, there simply isn’t any space. Adding agility equipment to the current downsized park is going to cause injuries that Cortland will be potentially liable for.

Fourthly, it was communicated to us that grilling stations would be installed in the area next to the downsized dog park. This will effectively render the dog park unfit for use when the grills are in use since we will be unable to have the dogs in the park with hot dogs being cooked next to them. We believe that there are several open areas in the community where grills can be installed. In fact, grills can potentially be installed without downsizing the dog park as well. We are also concerned that Cortland decided to utilize such a massive open area for installing grills in lieu of alleviating continual parking issues faced by residents due to lack of parking space. 

The proposed changes lack transparency and community engagement. As frequent users of the dog park, we feel excluded from the decision-making process and believe that our valuable input has not been taken into account. We request that in future, an open dialogue be initiated, allowing community members to voice their concerns, suggest alternative solutions, and actively participate in shaping the future of the community. 

In light of the aforementioned concerns, we urge you to reconsider the proposed changes. We request that an independent committee be established to thoroughly assess the potential consequences and seek viable alternatives that address any concerns while preserving the essence of the park that we hold so dear.

By signing this petition, we express our united voice against the proposed changes, aiming to preserve the dog park's integrity, its positive impact on our community, and the well-being of our four-legged companions. We hope that our concerns will be seriously considered, and we look forward to the opportunity to engage in a constructive dialogue to find a mutually beneficial resolution.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter, and we eagerly await your response.