Today’s Austin American-Statesman has an article on page A1 about neighborhood reaction to a 1.6-acre fenced off-leash area (OLA) that has been proposed for Mabel Davis Park.

Sarah Coppola’s article, Planned off-leash park runs afoul of neighbors, cites the need for dog parks in a city with a growing number of apartments and condos, but also represents concerns the park’s neighbors have about water quality, heavy use, adequate maintenance and environmental issues at Mabel Davis, the site of a former landfill that was contaminated with pesticides and heavy metals. 

Here is a timeline of events in the proposed OLA’s history, with links to blogs that discussed those events and other dog park issues:

• June 27, 2011: Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) held its first public meeting at Linder Elementary to discuss the proposed OLA.
• Nov. 7, 2011:  An open house on the OLA was held at an Austin Street and Bridge Division facility near St. Elmo Road and Interstate 35. Visitors could read information on easels around the room, and could talk individually with representatives of PARD, other city departments and the Off-Leash Area Advisory Committee (OLAAC).
• Feb. 28, 2012: Austin Parks and Recreation Board approved new OLAs at Mabel Davis Park and Yett Creek Park with no board discussion or citizen input regarding the OLA at Mabel Davis.
• April 5, 2012: Citing inadequate neighborhood consensus on the issue, Austin City Council passed a resolution that requires Council approval of OLAs or other uses at Mabel Davis and Yett Creek parks.
• April 10, 2012: PARD staff met with residents to discuss the proposed OLA.
• May 24, 2012: PARD staff held a follow-up meeting with neighborhood representatives. 

Austin Parks and Recreation Department will hold a final public meeting about the proposed park at 6 p.m. Aug. 29 at Travis High School, according to theStatesman article.