Pup park plan needs new home

Waterview Park (WP) officials want to give its residents' dogs a treat far better than bones and biscuits.

WP officials allocated $20,000 for a half-acre dog park in the median area between WP Phases I and III, but upon submitting of the proposal to university officials, the location was denied by Business Affairs, said WP manager Jonathan Denton. More than a hundred dogs are registered in WP.

In the future plans for Business Affairs, an impending road might be built through the area within the next couple of years, which was the main reason for the refusal, said Vice President of Business Affairs Calvin Jamison.

"There's also a large natural drain that runs through the campus down there, so that would not be the most beneficial area to have it," said Director of Housing Operations Matt Grief.

To accommodate the natural drain, the dog park would have to be built in a way that doesn't prevent the drain from flowing and impede the flow of water, Grief added.

The university must approve any alterations to WP property because the university owns the land, Denton said.

"We feel (the area between Phase I and III) is out in the open, so it has accessibility to the rest of the students. And, it's as close to the middle as campus as you can get for people with dogs, so it would not going be a far walk for them," Denton said. "We thought that if we put it in the middle like that, it would decrease the smell and noise."

The other two locations considered for the dog park are in the middle of Phase I or Phase II, and both would be smaller than the half-acre originally planned, Denton said.

"We talked to city managers and multi-family master plan community developers that have installed dog parks in their areas and they have given us a lot of pointers and tips and so we're very confident," Denton said. "It wouldn't just be a fence; it would be a very nice inviting place for you and your pet."

The dog park would have metal tables and benches, as well as shade trees and an awning, Denton said. Plans include stations to dispose of dog waste and a water fountain for both humans and dogs.

"We want to put some buffalo grass in also because we've been told that dogs like to play in tall grass," Denton said.

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