CRESTVIEW — In addition to kids, joggers, walkers, soccer players, fishermen, picnickers and flocks of water fowl, Twin Hills Park could soon have a place just for dogs.
The Community Redevelopment Agency Board unanimously told the Main Street Crestview Association committee tasked with developing a dog park to begin fundraising.
Presenting a preliminary plan for the park to the board during a June 24 workshop, chairwoman April Meier reported the results of the committee’s market research.
“People in our market and our city do want a dog park,” Meier said.
The committee, working with city Public Works officials, identified a half-acre site along U.S. Highway 90 for what they tentatively called the “Crestview Bark Park.”
MEETS CRITERIA
In addition to committee members Rae Schwartz and Ted Wickman, “we have a whole cadre of volunteers who want to help us do fundraising for it,” Meier said.
Meier said the dog park site met her committee’s criteria, which included:
●Sufficient size
●Not being near residences “because dogs may bark”
●Not encroaching on areas of frequent activity, such as the children’s park
A dog park will benefit both dogs and their owners, Meier said.
“Dogs become more socialized and people become more socialized,” she said. “We envision a park that builds relationships between residents and their dogs.”
EQUIPMENT
The park would include training and exercise equipment, such as “sit and stay” benches, agility courses and hoops to jump through.
“Dogs will socialize in pack format if they don’t have anything else to do,” Meier said.
Schwartz said owners would have to register their dogs before they receive a swipe card allowing admission to the park.
“It will help us have information about the dog,” Schwartz said. This would include medical and vaccination records.
Charging an annual user fee, such as $25 for residents and $35 for people from outside of Crestview, would help cover maintenance costs, Meier said.
Such “buy-in” also creates a sense of ownership, she said, leading most dog park users to voluntarily help maintain the facility.
“They act to police the park and keep after dog owners who forget to pick up their poop,” Meier said.
GRANT MONEY
CRA Director Brenda Smith said the district expects to receive state approval by July 1 to begin using recently awarded recreation grant money, some of which can be applied toward dog park lighting, benches and shade sails.
Board members praised the committee for its thorough research.
“I commend you for what you’ve done,” board President Joe Blocker said. “But you ain’t done enough: we don’t have a dog park yet!”
Meier said she and her committee have already begun brainstorming fundraising ideas, including selling paving bricks residents can buy in memory of beloved pets, going to online crowd-funding sources, holding dog wash events, accepting donations and holding run/walks.
“If we’re going to build a dog park, it’s going to be an awesome dog park!” Meier said.
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IN THE DOG PARK
A Main Street Crestview Association committee tasked with researching a dog park in Twin Hills Park made these recommendations for the facility:
●Separate big dog and small dog areas
●Secured card-swipe gate entrance, with owners required to register their dogs and prove vaccinations
●Annual membership fees to fund maintenance
●Covered gazebo for dog park events
●Dog agility and exercise equipment
●Benches for owners
●Possible water feature for dogs to play in
A Main Street Crestview Association committee tasked with researching a dog park in Twin Hills Park made these recommendations for the facility:
●Separate big dog and small dog areas
●Secured card-swipe gate entrance, with owners required to register their dogs and prove vaccinations
●Annual membership fees to fund maintenance
●Covered gazebo for dog park events
●Dog agility and exercise equipment
●Benches for owners
●Possible water feature for dogs to play in
IN THE DOG PARK
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview Community Redevelopment Agency OKs fundraising for 'Bark Park' (VIDEO)