City council members approved a site for a potential dog park in New London with an 8-2 vote at last week’s common council meeting. The motion set forth by the Parks and Recreation Committee did not include funding for a future dog park.
“At this time we’re not looking at any tax dollars to initiate construction,” said Parks Director Chad Hoerth. “Actual construction of the dog park would come from private funding.”
The Parks and Recreation Committee, along with a group of citizens had been looking at two properties for the potential site. They recently toured a proposed Floral Hill site near the city compost area and another site on River Road east of the Embarrass River near a DOT parking lot, just south of Highway 54.
Committee members discussed the pros and cons of both sites and recommended the River Road site.
The total area is around five acres and has a perimeter of about 2,200 linear feet. They determined the site was easier to find than the Floral Hill site, and it would offer access to the river for dog owners who wanted to use it. Other positives for the River Road site included: the close proximity to the existing DOT parking lot, adequate distance from residential housing, and easier access to electricity for possible lighting.
The rough estimate to build the dog park at the River Road site is $13,510 vs. $16,091 if a site were developed at Floral Hill.
Hoerth said the New London Jaycees and several other private citizens are interested in contributing to the project. He said that once enough funds are raised, the parks committee and council would vote again to allow construction to begin.