TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Suncoast Pinellas News

Canine Park Coming To Safety Harbor

ADVERTISEMENT

By Mark  Schantz | The Suncoast News

Published: January 26, 2008

SAFETY HARBOR, Fla. - SAFETY HARBOR, Fla. - After four years of planning and some disappointment, local dog owners will soon be able to exercise their pooches at a city-operated dog park.

Tuesday night the City Commission agreed to reserve a half-acre at Safety Harbor City Park, on Seventh Street South, for dog fanciers.

In 2002, the city created a fenced dog run near the city's public works facility, on Railroad Avenue.

Dog owners soon began asking for more amenities, such as benches and doggie exercise equipment, like is found in canine exercise areas in other county parks and parks in other cities, Andrea Norwood, interim leisure services director, said in an earlier interview.

In Spring 2004, the city decided to construct a dog park as part of a joint project with the Pinellas County Parks and Recreation Department. The city began planning with the county to construct the park on county property just south of Alligator Lake.

At that time the city budgeted $250,000 to transform the piece of vacant county property into a dog park that would also offer passive recreation for humans.

County staff members, however, suddenly changed course without bringing the issue to the County Commission, Norwood said. The city's request became entangled with an unrelated issue in the East Lake area, she added.

When residents of East Lake balked at soccer fields being constructed near the county's 8,000-acre Brooker Creek Preserve, county staff removed that request and the Safety Harbor's dog park proposal from their budget.

Will Davis, Pinellas County environmental management director, said in an interview Wednesday he recalls staff reconsidering the dog park proposal from Safety Harbor and deciding to focus more on environmental management and rehabilitation for the property.

City staff, Norwood said, immediately began working on alternative locations.

Last October, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board selected tree-shaded space in Safety Harbor City Park, between ball fields four and five, to construct a fenced dog exercise park. Small and large dogs will be separated from each other by fencing.

The park area is canopied by numerous trees, she said.

The advisory board recommended the site because it would have the least impact on existing park use and neighboring residents.

Dog play areas will include benches, dog agility equipment and a water fountain.

About $50,000 has been budgeted for the project, but it will likely be completed for a lot less, she said.

Norwood noted the city will actually save a lot of money by developing its own dog park, rather than joining with the county. There will be no site work or land development costs associated with the city project, she said.

Tuesday night City Manager Matthew Spoor said the "beautiful location" on which the dog park will be created is already used by visitors to the City Park as an unofficial canine exercise area.

After fencing and some site work is completed it should be officially opened sometime in April.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT