The city is almost ready to break ground on the leash-free dog park which has been in development since early 2022.
As ThoroldToday reported, a local family has generously donated 9 acres of land along Beaverdams Rd., on the condition that the city turns it into a leash-free dog park.
City Hall staff has drafted up a plan for the park, which they are now presenting to different city committees in hopes of soliciting feedback.
During the July 26 meeting of the Active Transportation Committee, Abu Rashed, who is a project manager in the city’s engineering department, was on hand to explain the project.
He told committee members that the dog park will have a smaller dog area and a larger dog area, a pavilion, several benches, 1.5m fencing, and solar panel lighting.
The city is also looking to install crosswalks and a multi-use pathway along Beaverdams Rd.
“Because of the safety we need to have a pedestrian crosswalk,” Rashed said. “We are proposing to reduce the speed of Beaverdams Rd. It’s right now 80 km/h. We are planning to propose to go to 50 km/h.”
The city is working with the Region to get the speed reduction approved.
Because the land is vast and the city’s budget limited, the dog park will take up half of the donated area for now.
Come budget time next year, city council will have the option to put more money in the project so that the other half of the land can be put to use.
On July 12, a public information session was held for residents to give their feedback, and all those comments will also be taken into consideration when putting together a final proposal for the park.
The city hopes to have the plan finished by the fall, so they can do a ground breaking later that season.
