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Council delays action on donated land for dog park, cites costs and maintenance concerns
Summary
A church offered land for a dog park, but staff and councilors said leased land cannot be rezoned and initial development could cost in the tens of thousands; the council asked staff to pause further work for several months while budget planning proceeds.
A representative of a local church offered the city a parcel that could be used for a dog park, and staff briefed the council on options and constraints at the Jan. 13 meeting. Director Capping told the council a leased parcel could not be rezoned for park use and that a donated parcel would be the workable path; he warned initial development costs including site work, benches, drainage and fencing could reach into the tens of thousands, and possibly approach six figures depending on the scope.
Councilors said the city currently lacks capacity to take on a new park project and directed staff to hold off on further work for a few months while the budget picture becomes clearer. Staff said they would thank the donor and revisit the offer later if budget and staffing permit. ‘‘We can tell them we appreciate this donation, but right now, can we hold off and maybe relook at it later?’’ one councilor said.
