Tail waggers, small and large canines, and playful fur friends alike may have something new to look forward to as a group of dog owners approached Town Council last week about building a temporary dog park.
Although the idea is just garnering interest at this point, a temporary location has been chosen, and a handful of local businesses have offered to volunteer their services and time to make it happen. A group of citizens attended the last council meeting with a presentation and proposal to utilize a parcel of town land for the purpose of a temporary dog park.
Renee Mirehouse and a group of locals went before council with a proposal to use an old town works yard located on 12th Street South that is not currently in use. Although the plan is only in the proposal stage, Mirehouse hopes to get the interest of dog owners and other residents on board.
“Getting the word out there and getting a list of volunteers would be a good thing,” she said.
Mirehouse is a dog owner herself, and although she lives on land out of town, she is interested in residents of Golden and people travelling through to have a place to bring their pets.
“My dog likes to play with other dogs,” she said. “We’ve travelled a bit, and we would try to find places to stop that had dog parks. The location would be great for a dog park because it is near the Rotary Trail network, and doesn’t have many neighbours nearby.”
Parking is available, and the property is already partially fenced in. A local business has already offered to help repair the standing fence, which she says should cost around $2,000. The budget for the entire project stands around $18,000, but is depending on assistance the team might get from grant funding, fundraising, and local businesses. They anticipate installing a water fountain to keep people and pets hydrated during their play dates, and possibly a few features to keep things interesting for canine pals.
If Town Council approves the use of the land, the Golden Dog Park Association will use the fall months to gather any public inquiries, insurance, and society obligations they may need to adhere to, and submit a final site plan. Over the winter, they will collect funds needed for the project, and the construction phase should start in the spring. By summer, they anticipate more features to be added, like benches or picnic tables, a shelter from the sun and rain, and some extra trees. They also hope to have another fenced in enclosure for small dogs and private functions like training classes.
