Details of the proposed off-leash dog park near Centennial Park were officially unveiled to the public last week during an open house at Dr. George Kemp House.
Shelley Gagnon, the director of community services for the town of Innisfail, said approximately 20 people attended the July 6 open house, which had displays on the park’s location and layout, as well as examples of the doggy bag dispensers and biodegradable doggy bags that will be installed at the park and at other locations throughout town. Residents were invited to leave a comment on the proposed park and vote on what type of fence they would like to see used. The majority of attendees voted in favour of 4” x 4” wood posts with non-climb farm fence versus the chain link fence option. Gagnon said the chain link fence would cost $19,000 while the wood post and farm fence option would come in at $4,000 less. The town has set aside $30,000 for the project in the 2011 capital budget.
Gagnon said the proposal will now be brought to Innisfail Town Council for approval sometime this month and shovels could be in the ground as soon as the green light is given.
“If council approves it, we’re ready to go,” Gagnon told those in attendance. “It’s a very quick process.”
The planning process for the park began in November, when over 75 people turned out for an initial meeting to discuss the construction of an off-leash park within municipal boundaries. Information was also posted to the Envision Innisfail website.
A planning committee was created to examine ways to incorporate the ideas proposed by people at the first meeting. The 10-person committee, comprised of both community service members and Innisfail residents, met three times and were tasked with finding an appropriate location for the park, which will be constructed on town-owned land.
“It’s been a subject of discussion for quite some time now,” Gagnon said, explaining organizers have been attending the farmer’s market for a month to get the information out.
One of those in attendance was Marilyn Johanson, owner of a German shorthaired pointer named Shaker.
“It’s important to me because I’m a dog owner,” she said when asked why she attended. “I was interested to see what they had in their plans.”
The proposed location for the park is just north of Centennial Park and south of Aspen Heights Way. It meets most of the options people asked for in an off-leash park, Gagnon explained.
“This kind of meets most of the needs people expressed,” she said. “We looked at somewhere that would be the least obtrusive.”
Trailhead markers will be installed leading to the park, as will a sign outlining the park use requirements use for dogs and their owners. Dog owners will be required to keep their pets on a leash until they reach the fenced-in staging area.
