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Belgrade parks board recommends Henson park include dog area after $40,000 community pledge
Summary
The Belgrade parks board voted to recommend that Henson Subdivision Park include a dog-park component. Community speakers pledged $40,000 and offered in-kind help to build a memorial feature honoring Brandy Crawford; the board said naming would apply to the dog-park feature, not the entire park.
The Belgrade Regional Parks, Trails, and Recreation District board voted to recommend that Henson Subdivision Park be developed to include a dog-park component, and heard a community pledge of $40,000 toward its construction.
The action on the discussion agenda followed public comment from William Feniger, who described Brandy Crawford''s history caring for animals in the Belgrade area and asked that a dog-park area be named in her memory. "My name is William Feniger," Feniger told the board, and later said, "we have $40,000 we've raised already that we are committing to Belgrade." Feniger and several supporters offered volunteer labor and donated services to reduce construction costs.
Staff said the board was being asked only to designate that a dog park be included in the park''s design, not to approve construction funding or rename the whole park. A staff member explained that designation would allow the project to be evaluated in the capital improvement project (CIP) process, which includes preliminary site planning, ranking criteria that account for public partnerships, and later budget approval by the board, city council and county commissioners.
Board members and staff clarified the scope and location: Henson Park (identified in the board materials as park #55) sits at the end of Jackrabbit where it intersects Grisso; the proposed dog-park would be a contained feature within the roughly 2.7-acre site, with a net usable area the presenter estimated at about 2.2 acres. The Chair cautioned that naming a whole park is more consequential than naming a component, saying naming "a whole park is harder to name" while noting the board was not being asked to change the park''s official name.
Several community members spoke in support. Troy Butler said Brandy was "an incredible person" and candidate supporters including local veterinarians emphasized her long-standing service to dogs and owners. Gordon Hardaway, identifying himself as with Hardaway Vet Hospital, recounted Crawford''s work as a technician and in emergency care.
After public comment and brief board discussion, the Chair moved to recommend Henson Subdivision Park be developed as a dog park. The motion received a second and passed by voice vote. Staff said the next steps are CIP consideration, preliminary site planning with public input and then budget review before any construction.
The board also clarified that placing Brandy Crawford''s name on the dog-park feature could be handled during design; no formal naming motion was made at the meeting. The board expressed appreciation for the funding offer and community volunteers and asked staff to integrate public input as the project proceeds.
