A new pooch park in Palatine? Resident leading campaign for another dog hangout

To keep his Norwegian elkhound and German shepherds happy, Palatine resident Jason Sassorossi travels all the way to Wauconda to frequent a dog park on Lake County Forest Preserves land.

Palatine has a dog park, too, but it's subpar, Sassorossi says. He knows other local dog owners who make the same trip to Wauconda, but would much rather have something closer.

Sassorossi started a petition on change.org that has garnered 296 signatures to create a new dog park in Palatine, on the eastern end of Deer Grove Forest Preserve in Cook County. If that is not a viable option, he hopes local officials find another centralized spot in town, he said.

"Palatine is a pretty decent-size city and it should have a more centralized dog park for easier access for all parts of Palatine," he said.

A dog park is a fenced-in area where dogs can roam off leash. Dog owners typically pay an annual fee to use it.

Palatine's dog park is at Plum Grove Reservoir Park, adjacent to Harper College, which allows park goers to use its parking area. The 1.2-acre dog park has been there since 2004. It was expanded last year to include a shelter and a separate fenced area for small dogs, which now can roam separate from larger dogs, said Mike Clark, executive director of the Palatine Park District.

"We always look at improvements or ideas, and this was one of them."

Sassorossi said he used to take his dogs there until he decided it was worth traveling farther.

"It's literally on the outskirts of Palatine itself," he said of the park next to Harper.

"It's very hard to find, it's very small and there's not really many good things about it."

The dog park is on a slope, which makes running harder for dogs, Sassorossi said. Plus, it gets few visitors, he said.

"I want my dogs to play with other dogs," he said.

While it's true that the dog park isn't in a highly visible area, "from the wear and tear on the grass, it gets used quite a bit," Clark said.

On Thursday afternoon, there was no one there.

Jennifer Fleischmann of Schaumburg said she walks her dog daily at Plum Grove Reservoir Park. She works and studies at Harper College, so she's often nearby and typically sees seven to 10 people a day at the dog park, she said.

Fleischmann said she has considered paying the yearly fee to use the dog park, but her dog "is not very social."

Clark said that creating another dog park hasn't been on the radar in Palatine, particularly after last year's expansion of the current one.

The Forest Preserves of Cook County, which has three off-leash dog areas near Des Plaines, Forest Park and Tinley Park, also is not looking to add more, said Carl Vogel, director of communications.

The agency is focused on connecting visitors to nature, and its conservation and policy council last year recommended not limiting land to small groups, Vogel said.

"Adding a new fenced-in off-leash dog area would take away land that is either dedicated to native habitat or is open for picnics and other outdoor activities," he said.

"Everyone is always welcome to bring their dogs for walks on leash in the preserves and on our trails, with a few exceptions like on the grounds of our nature centers," Vogel added.

Sassorossi said his next step will be to bring his petition to Palatine village and park district officials, with the hope they will take it seriously.

"Literally you put up a fence, trash can receptacles and a couple of benches (to create a dog park)," he said. "There's definitely some opportunities in Palatine, and the easier access would bring more people to it."