Gantry Plaza State Park just north of Pier 1, where a posted sign says dogs are not permitted. Signage with new rules, however, has since been put up. Photo: Nathaly Pesantez)
Oct. 2, 2018 By Nathaly Pesantez
A new dog policy is about to go into effect at Gantry Plaza State Park that will do away with the no dogs rule and allow leashed dogs in certain areas of the park.
Starting Oct. 4, NYS Parks will permit leashed dogs to be on paved pathways and plazas throughout the park during its regular operating hours of 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
They will not, however, be permitted on grass, garden and landscapes areas.
The park’s signage will be updated as of the morning of Oct. 4 to reflect the revised rules, said Leslie Wright, NYC Regional Director for New York State Parks. Some parts of the park, however, already have updated signage.
The policy update comes months after a community meeting on the topic and countless emails and comments NYS Parks has received on dog rules at the park. The 12 acre park, running from Anable Basin in the north to Center Boulevard and 50th Avenue, has virtually been off limits to dogs, except for the plaza area right before the gantries and at one pier.
Many considered the former no pets policy to be confusing, given the rules at the adjacent Hunter’s Point South Park, which allows for dogs on paved pathways and other areas.
The new policy also reflects what several residents and park-goers suggested at a June meeting—to allow for dogs and pets in the park’s pathways, but keep them off the grass.
Concerns, however, remained on how the rules would be enforced, and whether cleanliness and dog waste on the grass would be an issue. But dog owners at the meeting said it was a small group of irresponsible dog owners who give attentive dog owners a bad name.
Nonetheless, to help promote cleanliness, NYS Parks will be adding additional dog waste bag dispensers to the park pathway areas as part of the new policy change. Park police, additionally, will help enforce the revised rules.
And, as always, dogs are welcome on and off leash in the state park’s two dog runs on the corner of 48th Avenue and Vernon Boulevard and on Center Boulevard between 46th and 47th Avenues.
Featured Events
18 Comments
I love all the people complaining about the dogs making a mess in the neighborhood. Next time you walk around take a look at all the trash in the very same landscaping you claim you want to protect: cigarette butts, plastic bags, garbage everywhere. Every time there’s some family event at Hunter’s Point, the waterfront is a trash ridden disaster zone for days. Last time I was walking I saw a mom let her kid pull down his pants and defecate in the corner of the playground rather than walk a hundred yards to the bathroom. Maybe we should ban families from the park since they consistently seem unable to take out everything they bring in? Some people don’t clean up after their dog. Fine them, and move it along. People in this neighborhood also don’t clean up after their kids or themselves though, so unless you’re out in the street harassing everyone who leaves their litter behind, keep your lips zipped about not having your precious park to yourself. Parks are for everybody.
My dog is very intellectual and only poops in his food bowl.
It’s not like they enforce the rules now so what’s the difference?
Nooooo!!! Enough with the dogs already. Where will it end with the canine amenities in this neighborhood? Can we limit the number of dog per capita? Can JVB propose a dog tax? There are just too many. The neighborhood has become poop alley. Fake service animals. Real dog doodie. Learn to socialize, people!
A lot of stray cats too. A dog tax are you kidding me. I love both cats and dogs – be real !
I’d be down with a dog tax if it meant people like you would quit whining about dogs and started focusing on all the trash you leave behind every weekend.
I think this is a good decision. BTW, I do not own a dog.
This is idiotic. Mark my words; a kid is going to get bit by a dog. Unless they are checking your “responsible dog owner” card at the entrance. Oh wait there is no such thing? Well then I am sure the responsible owner of “fifi the pug” will politely remind the owner of “killer the pitbull” that he or she should control their animal. Good Luck.
There is literally a dog park next to a playground in the Hunters Point park and the only irresponsible assholes are the parents who don’t supervise their kids and let them wander into the dog park like it’s a petting zoo. 99% of dogs are leashes in the park and with their owners. Keep your brats in line by actually watching them and there will be no dog bites. That includes not letting your kids bum rush random dogs and get in their faces.
Well said. Love this comment. Also the adults who irresponsibly drop cigarette butts and other trash need to be fined big time.
At least you’re not the typical smug dog owner. Let me guess, your dog doesn’t normally respond that way.
It’s. Or the bites but MANY dog owners don’t follow the rules. Look on hunters point south. Every morning people let their dogs into the volleyball / kids sand to crap and piss – in spite of the clear sign saying otherwise. They let them run on the AstroTurf oval (same sign!). They take them off of their leash and let them run around. Near the buildings, some moron walks up to plantings in front of our building the other day and literally let’s the dog jump into the plantings next to the sign asking otherwise as the dog takes a dump and the tears up the landscaping to “mark his spot”. I’m sorry to say it but there are a lot of irresponsible dog owners out there. And what a stupid thing to say “be responsible kids owners”. I don’t even have a kid but I was once one, so were you. In our society kids have rights, dogs don’t have those same rights. I just hope that the new rules are enforced as strictly as they said in the letter that went around. I don’t think most people would argue that the rules are fair … let’s see how soon we have dogs running around in the grass without a leash … you want to own a big dog … move to an area that’s conducive to having them run around without a leash (the burbs).
Mark my words! Some poor, sweet puppy is going to get his ears pulled and his paws stepped on by some kid, unless they check the responsible parent card at the door!
This is so TRUE. I got sick of people acting like dog parks were petting zoos and stopped taking my dogs there, we take the train to central park where there is space and several fenced in areas for dogs to play off leash.
The waterfront park is awesome, but as a responsible dog owner, all dogs should be leashed in this park unless in a dog park. All parents should teach their children not to approach dogs they do not know without permission. Educate both sides.
Good. Maybe that’ll
Shut the rude, entitled, spoiled kid up!
You were a kid once, Anon.
Oh get over yourself, OP. “Killer pitbull”? And like the reply above mine says, how about the parents actually keep an eye on their kids?
So there will be dog poop in the grass AND on the sidewalk? Where will my obese yet loving wife walk NOW? no collusion