By Nick Halter, Southwest Journal Full Story
CORRECTION: The date of the public hearing about a dog park in Southwest changed after the publication of the Oct. 31 Southwest Journal. The public hearing will be held Nov. 22Â
Upcoming meeting key to future of Southwest dog park
Two upcoming meetings will likely determine the site and funding for a dog park in Southwest. A citizen’s advisory committee has made a primary and secondary recommendation for a site. The preferred site is on top of what is now a parking lot near Lyndale Farmstead Park. The secondary site is just to the south of the parking lot, near the Theodore Wirth Home. On Nov. 22, the Park Board’s planning committee will hold a public hearing on the potential sites before making its own recommendation to the full Park Board. On the same night, the Park Board’s Administration and Finance Committee will vote on a delayed 2011 Capital Improvements Program that allocates $100,000 for the dog park to go along with $32,500 that had already been set aside for the project. Park Board staff estimates that the preferred site would cost between $96,000 and $185,000. Jennifer Ringold, the Park Board’s manager of public engagement, said that if the project gets the additional $100,000 in funding, it would likely be able to ensure that the base needs of the project are met, and the remaining money could go toward added amenities, such as water fountains.