City Council picks site for the first of 2 new dog parks coming to Green Bay
GREEN BAY - The City Council on Tuesday chose the location for the first of two new dog parks planned for Green Bay city parks.
The Council chose Meyer Park, part of the East River Trail, as the location of a medium-size dog park on the city's east side. It will be the second city park to host a dog park although the first, Whitney Park, only offers dogs a smaller area more conducive to socializing than exercise.
"We need something bigger," Green Bay Parks Director Dan Ditscheit told the Parks Committee on May 15.
Council approved $50,000 in bonding as part of the city's 2023 budget and capital improvement program to develop a medium-size dog park in a city park. Parks Department staff spent last year reviewing options and recommended East River Meyer Park or a part of Sullivan Park that's currently a well-used soccer pitch.
Why was East River Meyer Park selected for a Green Bay dog park? What did the neighbors say?
East River Meyer Park was chosen because it features a lot of large shade trees, has proximity to the East River Trail and is underutilized at present.
A majority of neighbors who attended a neighborhood meeting to discuss the plan welcomed it, but some residents thought the park was too close to homes for a dog park, thought the existing playground should stay and noted that East River Meyer Park has no parking lot, so visitors would have to park on the street, Ditscheit told the Parks Committee on May 15.
City Council and Parks Committee member Melida Eck asked if the playground equipment could be relocated in the park to preserve it, but Ditscheit said the equipment is very old and just needs to be replaced. He said new park equipment for East River Meyer Park could be considered in the future.
When will the East River Meyer dog park open? Will there be a user fee?
Most of the $50,000 allocated to the dog park will pay for fencing for the dog park area.
Ditscheit said Parks staff can now start to plan for the fence installation and equipment necessary to create the dog park space. He anticipates the fencing will go up sometime this fall.
Between now and when the dog park opens, city staff will likely make a recommendation to the Parks Committee about whether to charge a user fee to use the city's dog parks. He said the aim would be to have a decision in place by the time the East River Meyer dog park opens.
"We will see how much time and effort goes into maintaining these facilities and see if a fee is warranted or desired," Ditscheit said. "We will review whatever with the Parks Committee and City Council before anything is implemented."
Did you say something about Green Bay working on another dog park?
Yes.
Green Bay included a dog park among the amenities it plans to add in the next phase of public improvements in the Shipyard Redevelopment Area, north of the Mason Street bridge and east of South Broadway.
The first phase of amenities improves the shoreline of the Fox River by building a multimodal path, floating dock, fishing pier and accessible kayak launch. The work should be completed in summer. Phase two plans include another small dog park, like the Whitney Park dog exercise area, as well as a playground, event lawn and an urban beach. The city has already secured a $5 million federal grant to help cover phase two project costs.
More on the Shipyard: After 7 years, Green Bay's Shipyard area plans advance. Here's the latest on the redevelopment
Green Bay Parks is looking at options for more dog parks, including a large one
Once the three dog parks in development are completed, Ditscheit said Parks staff want to look for other city parks that would be good for dog parks, especially a large-scale dog park.
"The next step we'ere going to ocus on is where we can develop a large one and where we can find funding to develop it in the city," Ditscheit said.
Here's a list of Green Bay area dog parks
The Howard Dog Park is located in the Gordon Nauman Conservation Area, 1653 Wietor Drive.
The Brown County Dog Park, 1000 Pleasant Lane, in Hobart, includes off-leash areas and is open at 8 a.m. daily year-round. Use of the county dog park requires a $2.25 daily permit or a $20.60 annual permit, either of which can be purchased via the Brown County Parks permit page.
The Laura and Peter Mossakowski Family Dog Park, 2282 Bellevue St., in Bellevue, is just south of Wisconsin 172. Use of the 6.5-acre dog park requires an annual pass that costs $30 for one dog or $60 for two or more dogs in a household.
The Whitney Park Dog Exercise Area, 800 Main St., in Green Bay, is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Vital Essentials Dog Park, 325 N. Broadway, is a fenced-in dog park located in a grassy, city-owned lot.
Contact Jeff Bollier at (920) 431-8387 or jbollier@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JeffBollier.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Green Bay picks location for first of 2 new dog parks. Here's where
