Petition circulates after concerns over New Albany dog park location
NEW ALBANY, IN (WAVE) - An online petition is now circulating after concerns over the location of new proposed dog park.
The proposed park would be located off of Budd Road at Cannon Acres Park.
The petition states the park will disturb ancient Native American historic sites.
Indiana DNR told the city there were some areas of the land that should be avoided, but the section in question for the dog park was given the go-ahead.
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"I just think there are better places in the city for a dog park," Tony Nava, a Native American who started the petition, said.
Nava lives in New Albany and said he does not want land where artifacts have been found to be disturbed.
"If you see that rise coming up out of the field out that there that is actually a Mississippian Platform," he said pointing to a mound.
Flags mark an outline for the city's first dog park. Lawrence Timperman, the architect who designed the project, says the proper testing on the land was completed. He said there were no findings where the park will be located.
"If the state archeologist wanted to come down here and check again, that's fine with me, because I don't have any dog in this fight and I think that the city has tried very hard to comply with the state's requirements," Timperman said.
Nava said his issue is there were findings very close by and he said necessary burial testing was not completed.
"Frisbee golf, according to the mayor, will be one of the attractions out here, I don't really mind that, but when the ground becomes disturbed and they start putting in fences and of course animals using the restroom on what we consider sacred land, that I find disturbing and I don't want that part of it," Nava said.
That's why he started an online petition, which generated more than 350 signatures in just a few days.
"My task is I want historic preservation," Nava said.
No one from the city was available for comment about this project on Wednesday.
While construction is set to start, Timperman believes it could be delayed because of these concerns. It is supposed to be completed this fall.
To view the petition, click here.
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