INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — Concerns were raised over the placement of the designated dog park in Incline Village due to public safety access and potential harm to the surrounding creeks at the Village Green.

Recently, the general improvement district Board of Trustees directed staff to focus solely on the Village Green as a potential site for a designated dog park, which was determined to be a number one priority by the people of Incline Village in the community Master Plan. 

The first concern was raised by North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District Chief Ryan Sommers, who voiced worry over the placement of the dog park, which currently has an upper and lower section. 

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The lower section is used for CareFlight, which is an emergency helicopter used to transport critical people from the North Shore to more emergency services in other surrounding areas. 

Sommers was worried that if there were to be a gated dog park on the lower part of the Village Green, there would be no place for the helicopter to land, inhibiting their ability to use the services, which, according to Sommers, can have anywhere between 10-12 landings a year. 

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“Village Green is very convenient and very safe because they can actually just lift and take right off over the lake and get the lift that they need,” said Sommers. 

IVGID General Manager Indra Winquest heard these concerns, and spoke more with Sommers before getting him in front of the Dog Park Committee to give a formal presentation. 

“Assuming the district continues to push forward with designing and implementing a dog park at the Village Green, we would work hand and hand with Chief Sommers and his team on the design, on the process, on the placement of everything so that we weren’t impeding on their ability to operate CareFlight off that facility,” said Winquest. 

Additionally, it was decided that a dog park would fit best on the upper part of Village Green, allowing the lower part to stay open for helicopter landings. 

The second concern that has been voiced by community members involves dog waste. Some community members voiced concerns about dog waste left on the green near Incline and Third Creek, the creeks that surround the green and go directly to the lake. 

Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Public Information Officer Jeff Cowen explained that because the Village Green is a multi-use field, it requires a higher level of maintenance compared to a regular dark park. 

“Both IVGID and a volunteer group perform maintenance,” said Cowen. “The area has multiple dog waste bag dispensers and trash receptacles and IVGID applies a bio-sensitive break down agent to the lawn to help neutralize nutrients before they have a chance to run off.” 

In addition, Cowen explained that a native vegetation buffer lines the creeks near the field, allowing an interception to the runoff, taking up nutrients before they enter the creek. 

“TRPA has reviewed and revisited water quality concerns on Third and Incline creeks a few times and have not found pollutant concerns,” said Cowen. 

While there are many deterrents to dog waste making it to the creek, TRPA and Take Care Tahoe still advocate for those with dogs to be number one at picking up number two. 

For updates about the dog park, visit http://www.yourtahoeplace.com/ivgid/resources/construction-updates/community-dog-park-project.