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Residents in Shaw have expressed frustration over accessing Shaw Dog Park during operating hours since it reopened Oct. 2, despite the Department of Parks and Recreation鈥檚 promise to maintain the posted hours.

The park鈥檚 reopening is part of the completion of the development for the new Banneker High School. The park was originally closed in April 2020 and was developed along with the high school.

Prior to its closure, residents were used to the Shaw Dog Park Association unlocking the park at 7 or 8 a.m. each morning. Since its reopening, DPR rangers have been tasked with unlocking the park, but residents say they are still waiting past 9 a.m. for access.

. , can someone open the Shaw Dog Park please? Still locked as of 9:25 on Sunday morning.

鈥� Shaw Dog Park (@ShawDogPark)

a neighbor tells me the shaw dog park didn鈥檛 open on time today. can you clarify operating hours and ensure rangers open the gates at the posted times?

鈥� Michael Eichler – 6E01 (@Eichler4DC)

Beth White, president of the Shaw Dog Park Association, said she is concerned about DPR鈥檚 current management of the park.

鈥淭hat was part of the promise, that DPR rangers would open it and we would close it, but people are standing outside the park and it鈥檚 not open,鈥� White said.

White said the association is in the midst of finding volunteers to open the park as DPR transfers the logistical process to the community.

DPR Director Delano Hunter said in an email the park previously operated outside its regular hours of operation because of involvement from the SDPA. Hunter also confirmed that the association is in the process of recruiting volunteers to help open the park early.

鈥淚n the meantime, DPR Park Rangers will open the new Shaw Dog Park in the morning and close in the evening,鈥� Hunter said.

For White, there continues to be a lack of communication from the DPR. Past 聽show how DPR did not immediately inform the community that the park was going to be closed as part of the development project for the new Banneker High School.聽

Even when it came to the park鈥檚 reopening, there was a lack of communication, according to ANC representative Michael Eichler.

鈥淭here was really no transparency about the opening date and everyone just assumed that it would open up in August with the school,鈥� Eichler said.

Today, we have a soft opening for our new Shaw Skate Park, Dog Park and Basketball Courts during the Banneker High School Celebration w/ at 11:30am. Join us!

鈥� DC Parks &Rec #WhereFunHappens Safely (@DCDPR)

Eichler said DPR would look into creating a channel within the D.C. government鈥檚 311 where the community could voice their requests and concerns about the park. Currently, there is no phone line available. (Hunter said constituents can contact the DPR Customer Care Center at (202) 673-7647 or send an email to dprcustomercare@dc.gov.)

White, the park association president, said she is also concerned about the park鈥檚 new gravel terrain and that it wasn鈥檛 properly installed or prepared. She said there has been an excess amount of dust from the gravel covering park benches and visitors.

White worries that the 鈥渄ust bowl鈥� could create unclean conditions for visitors and their dogs.聽

鈥淚t鈥檚 aesthetics, its health, its cleanliness, it’s everything,鈥� White said.

Local park-goer Will Arliss found the amount of dust to be unusual.

鈥淭hat was a big annoyance I experienced when I left the park. I was wearing black shoes and I had to wipe a large amount off with a wet paper towel,鈥� Arliss said.

Arliss visits multiple dog parks with his dog and said he hasn’t had a similar experience at Francis Dog Park, which uses a similar kind of gravel.

While the concern over the gravel and cleanliness may be warranted, the problem may also be temporary.

Nick Muoio, a civil superintendent at Resource Industries, a company that supplies aggregate materials for the D.C. area, said newly installed gravel will kick up excess dust at first but will dissipate over time.

鈥淯sually with rain, the problem can go away,鈥� Muoio said.

Hunter, the director of DPR, said in an email that the stone surface at Shaw Dog Park is the same surface that has been installed at the majority of DPR dog parks. Hunter added that the DC Department of General Services is responsible for maintenance of the dog park surfacing.

Hunter said DPR works closely with the Department of General services and their contractors to update the public quickly with information.

White said the community had raised issues about the terrain with the DPR early on during the planning and development process.

鈥淲e would give suggestions, we would have conversations about the surface and then they would tell us why they couldn鈥檛 do something we asked them instead of having the community be part of a design,鈥� White said.

White also said the association had offered to pay for certain amenities like new benches and shade, but DPR declined.

White said DPR鈥檚 lack of engagement and follow through has left her and other community members frustrated.

White said DPR did pay attention, however, to the amount of space needed for the park. Original plans from 2019 showed a greatly reduced dog park and skate park as part of the Banneker development. Updated plans from 2020 showed the parks would maintain their original size.

According to White, the amount of space and preservation of trees has left most users of the park satisfied. Additionally, many are just happy the park is open again.

For Maya Siegel and her dog Rider, they鈥檙e excited to check out the reopened space.

鈥淩ider loves the dog park. We usually go to the same one so it鈥檚 fun to take him to a new one,鈥� Siegel said.