The City of Denver has six dog parks. The sizes range from an acre up to three acres. Minimally dog parks have a perimeter fence, some benches to sit on, a place to dispose of dog wastes, and a free run area.
Excluding the cost of the land private groups have installed dog parks at existing parks for a cost of between $25,000 and $100,000 per park. Dog owners in Denver and other locations have shown a willingness to pay a fee of about $50 per year for he use of dog parks. Most users of dog parks walk their dogs to the parks as opposed to driving so distance from dog owners residences are to be considered in choosing a location. Finally dog parks have restriction on proximity to play areas for protection of children from aggressive dogs.
Enjoy seeing what a real plan looks like. If realistic thinking prevails Evansville may just be able to put in some dog parks at appropriate locations for a reasonable ($25,000 per park) cost and generate fees from dog owners to cover the expense of maintenance.
Link to Denver Master Dog Park Plan
http://www.denvergov.org/Portals/626/documents/Off_Leash_Dog_Park_masterPlan_web_.pdf
What a joke.
Interesting article. Thanks for posting.
The idea of a city dog park seems to get some people really up in arms, and I’m not sure why. Dog parks are consistently found in ‘real’ cities throughout the country. Nearly 40% of households in the U.S. own at least one dog, and many of those owners would no doubt appreciate a safe, clean place to give their best friends some off-leash time. Charging a modest fee for annual use seems reasonable and financially responsible.
Curiously, Denver is consistently voted one of the best places in the U.S. to live. Having a wide variety of activities which appeal to a wide variety of people no doubt adds to this. A couple of local dog parks would add to quality of life in this city, IMHO. If you want to see if a park like this would get used, head over to the State Hospital Park on any given day. It’s become the de facto dog park for the east side, and there are always lots of folks there getting out and getting some exercise with their pooches.
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