West Hartford Dog Park

It's been a slow winter thus far, but now that the holidays are behind us, the Dog Park Coalition is planning events for the new year. We're hoping for big things this year, and with your help we know we can see some results! Congratulations to the town of Windsor for their newest addition--the article from the Hartford Courant is below...


Woof!

Site Approved For Dog Park In Windsor
By STEVEN GOODE The Hartford Courant
January 8, 2009

WINDSOR — - After two years of searching for a suitable site, proponents of an off-leash dog park in town finally have a home. The town council earlier this week approved a 15,000-square-foot site in the western end of the overflow parking lot at Northwest Park. The council, which approved the proposal 7-2, also appropriated $6,800 from the capital projects fund to develop the park. "I'm not a dog owner, but these places really do flourish," said Mayor Donald Trinks, who estimated that the town has more than 4,500 licensed dogs. The park, which will result in the loss of 35 to 40 overflow parking spaces, is expected to cost about $25,000 to build in two phases. When completed, it will feature a 4-foot-tall fence, dog waste stations and garbage cans, play apparatus, shrubs, shade trees and wood chips.

The first phase of the project — expected to total about $16,000, including a contingency fund — would install about 650 feet of fencing, four waste stations and mulch ground cover. Park advocates will be responsible for funding 40 percent of materials and construction costs for phase one. The remaining costs in the first phase would be shared by the town and the Citizens for a Windsor Dog Park, with the town's construction commitment capped at $4,800. Also, the town is providing the group with $2,000 in seed money to offset costs associated with fundraising, such as printing and postage.

"We've got the land; now we're raising money," said Ina Forman, a founding member of the Windsor Dog Park Committee. The site benefits from plenty of parking, Forman said, but the parcel is much smaller than the 1-acre plot advocates originally envisioned. Forman said the group is hoping people who had committed to the project in its early stages will follow through with their support and that many licensed dog owners in town will contribute. "That would go a huge way," she said. Forman said she expected to solidify plans for a fundraising campaign in a few weeks and was hopeful that the park could open by the fall. Forman can be reached at aliforman@comcast.net.