Dog days coming to park this spring
Plans for a dog park at Ridge Ferry are well under way.
With tacit approval from the heads of the Rome and Floyd County commissions, staffers are starting to move on the promised dog park.
It could be open — in an unused section on the north side of Ridge Ferry Park — by the spring.
“We think Ridge Ferry makes the most sense from an infrastructure standpoint,” County Commission Chair Rhonda Wallace said.
Electricity, water, restrooms and parking are already available onsite.
Plans call for a fenced area of just over 0.6 acres with an electronic gate and separate sections for large and small dogs. It will be divided into three fields, so one can “rest” and recover while the other two are in use.
During a joint discussion last week, City Commissioner Wendy Davis said the area appeared to be small. However, County Manager Jamie McCord said it could easily be expanded at a later date.
“We can build it as big as anyone wants to pay for,” he said.
The 2013 special purpose, local option sales tax package contains $25,000 for the park.
A draft budget and rules governing use and operations were presented by PAWS Director Jason Broome and Kevin Cowling, executive director of Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation.
“Jason will be in charge of the facility and we’ll handle the grounds-keeping and maintenance,” Cowling said.
The fencing alone is estimated at $15,000 and two water fountains for the dogs will add another $3,500 or so to the cost. There’s also $2,000 for a covered seating area with benches and $2,500 for the electronic entry system.
While there won’t be a charge to use the park, patrons will have to register annually for a key-card fob to get into the gate. And they’ll have to show proof the dogs’ vaccinations — rabies, bordetella and DHPP — are up to date.
“The staff recommended a fob system for access and I agree,” McCord said. “If we just build it and say ‘go at it,’ it’s going to be the wild, wild West.”
Temporary fobs would be available for visitors, likely through their hotels and other sites such as City Hall and the Parks and Rec headquarters.
The remaining $2,000 in the budget will, hopefully, cover the cost of running electricity and water lines to the dog park and installing a security camera system.
“We’re trying to prevent the need for constant monitoring,” McCord said. “Responsible pet owners are no problem, but we don’t have the numbers to deal with irresponsible ones.”