Arlington County Journal

IN A CLASSIC case of one hand not knowing what the other was doing, the Arlington County Parks and Recreation Department turned the remnants of an old Civil War fort into a dog exercise area.

Dog owners got used to taking their dogs to play there, at least until this past January, when the county's Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board decided the dog park at Fort Ethan Allen had to go.

In April, the review board turned down a belated request by the parks department to approve the de facto dog park, equally and belatedly citing the historical value of the site.

Since then, fur has been flying between historical preservationists and pet owners over the location of the dog park, which is near Madison Community Center.

We know that historians necessarily have to take the long view, but if preserving the earthern remains of the fort was so important, why did it take the review board more than 10 years to do so?

Especially since Fort Ethan Allen is one of only two forts in the county that are preserved enough for historical interpretation?

The board did nothing for a decade while dogs romped over the remnants of the original breastworks of the fort, the largest collection of historic earthworks in the county.

The fort, built in 1861 to defend Washington from invading Confederate forces, was abandoned at the war's end in 1865. But portions remain, including a bomb shelter, powder magazine and guardhouse.

In an attempt to broker a compromise in the dispute, county Manager Ron Carlee has proposed a new location for the dog park.

The new site in Glebe Road Park would be behind the tennis courts. The park, which is off Old Glebe Road, has parking lots as well.

In announcing the new location, Carlee correctly noted that dog parks are "really not about the dogs." He understands that in a bustling, transient place like Arlington, dog parks provide an invaluable place for local residents to interact with their neighbors.

The kinds of not-home and not-work places that foster community-building are especially hard to come by in modern suburbia.

But these so-called "third spaces" are essential components of any definition of the good life.

Dog owners repeatedly tout the goodwill and friendships they find at the county's seven dog parks. That kind of social capital should not be squandered.

Sure, dogs bark and make a mess. But diligent dog owners can and should monitor their animals to minimize any disruption to the neighbors as the price of allowing their dogs to run off-leash.

People who don't own dogs, or who don't even like them, can and should remember that Arlington needs to accommodate many diverse needs besides their own.

If proponents and opponents of dog parks remember to be civil toward one another, it shouldn't be all that difficult for them to get along.