STROUDSBURG, Pa. — Tucked away on Collins Street in Stroudsburg, you'll find Glen Park. After a few years of planning what to do with what the borough calls an under-utilized space, officials recently created a dog park.
"We wanted a park actually within the borough of Stroudsburg that residents could actually walk to instead of drive to," said Larry Kopp, Stroudsburg's borough manager.
Pocono Bike Club has used the open field in Glen Park to host the Maxxis Eastern States Cup Enduro Race for a decade. Now, members of the bike club say races at the park are coming to a halt.
"There are many more things that can be done with Glen Park than putting up a dog fence and keeping everyone out," said Jessica Marelli, a Pocono Bike Club member.
On Sunday, the bike club will hold its last race where nearly 300 riders will take to the trails through the woods. They say the newly installed fence for the dog park takes away much-needed space for the race.
"We now have to scramble with the race coordinator to get the proper space for him to be able to set up, which is going to cause extra congestion in the community here because a lot of that parking is going to be moved elsewhere," said Matthew Arnold, a member of the Pocono Bike Club.
Organizers say the crowd that comes out for this race brings a boost to area businesses.
"While they are here, we've had them fill out surveys, and they say they not only come here for the races but also several times through the season to ride their bikes. They stay in the local area, spend money at the restaurants, the pubs, and bike shops," Arnold said.
"It's my opinion and the opinion of the many locals and racers that come here that there is no replacing Glen Park. There is nothing like it in the area. That is why people come hundreds of miles to race here," Marelli said.
Kopp tells Newswatch 16 that the borough wanted to do something to the park that can be used year-round.
"I don't understand why they feel like they can't use it in the future. We specifically set it up so that it can be opened up and put cars in there, so they are more than welcome to use that space for more than a dog park. I don't understand why it wouldn't be usable," Kopp said.
The Pocono Bike Club says plans for next year's Maxxis Eastern States Cup Enduro Race are still up in the air.