Give dogs a park, Arlington Heights park candidate says
They don't pay taxes but dogs deserve a park too, said Donald Miletic, candidate for the Arlington Heights Park Board.
"The board talks about spending $100,000 on playground renovations but a dog park would only cost $60,000 or $70,000," Miletic said. "Dog parks are kind of like an adult playground. They're very social."
There are three seats up for the Arlington Heights Park Board on April 7. Newcomer Miletic is running along with incumbents Maryfran Leno, Robert Smith and Robert Whisler. The term is four years.
Miletic is the finance superintendent for the Des Plaines Park District. He and his wife have two children and live near downtown Arlington Heights.
Arlington Heights is one of the few villages to ban dogs - even those on leashes - from all village parks. Arlington Heights and Mount Prospect park districts have discussed joining together to create a dog park but so far nothing has materialized.
According to a recent survey, about half of Arlington Heights residents think dogs on leashes should be allowed in at least one park but there has never been a public outcry on the issue, Whisler said.
"And to build a new dog park would be too expensive," he said. "We're talking about buying at least one acre of land, putting up fences and staffing it. That would all be very, very expensive."
Whisler has been on the park board since 2000. He's the president of Brian Properties, a real estate development company. He and his wife have two children. Smith is a financial planner. He and his wife have four children and live near Heritage Park.
Smith is against the idea of building a new park or allowing dogs at one existing park.
"The problem I have is with the location," Smith said. "If we do it at Camelot (Park), would people put their dog in their car and drive there from Heritage? Some say yes, some say no."
Leno - who has five children - is the executive director of the Itasca Park District. She worries about how kids would interact with dogs if they were allowed in the park.
"Kids don't know when to back off," she said. "And building a new dog park would not be easy. Everyone is going to think it's a great idea as long as it's not near them."