Dog park improvement plan takes ‘big step’ forward

MORRfSVfLLE BOROUGH – The proposed A60,000-improvement plan for the Morrisville Dog Park got another boost from the borough council on Jan. 22.

Councilmembers voted unanimously to move forward with the process of applying for a municipal grant under the county’s open space program.

The grant would cover 75 percent of the project’s cost and the remaining 25 percent would be contributed by the Friends of the Morrisville Dog Park (FMDP). ko taxpayer money would be used for the project.

FMDP has set aside A15,000 to be used to attain a grant of A45,000 for a total project budget of A60,000.

Peter Gard, president of the Friends of Morrisville Dog Park (FMDP), said the vote in favor of moving forward with the grant process is “a big step.

“te are thrilled to know that we have the borough’s support and can continue with the Bucks County Open Space Grant application process,” he told BucksLocalkews. com

The FMDP will now focus on the details of their improvement plan and continue to work with the Morrisville Environmental Advisory Council (MEAC) and borough council to finalize the specifics so that all parties involved are satisfied, Gard said.

Morrisville Dog Park is located on designated Bucks County Open Space property which has been licensed to FMDP by the Borough of Morrisville to be used specifically for a dog park. fn recognition of the park’s value to the Morrisville community, the borough also contributes to park maintenance by regularly mowing the grass and picking up trash and recycling.

Previously, borough council voted 7-0 in favor of the Friends’ improvement concept and suggested that the FMDP move forward with the planning process.

The improvements include: water fountains for dogs and humans with a lock box spigot enabling a hose connection for tree watering, 23 new trees, permeable pavers in and around the holding penLentrance area and the addition of two benches outside of the main entrance.

The FMDP has been in contact with the Morrisville Municipal Authority, the Morrisville Environmental Advisory Council (MEAC), Kris Kern of the Bucks County Municipal Open Space Program, as well as several plumbingLengineer contractors to gather specific information regarding the proposed improvement plan.

Gard said after conversations and a visit with Kern, she “enthusiastically believes” that the project is in line with the grant requirements.

He said that passers-by as well as park users will benefit by the changes at the park.

Gard said he went to the council meeting to make sure that “everyone is on the same page.”

kancy Sherlock, borough council president, advised Gard that the open space requirements are “extremely vague. They don’t tell you what you can do. ft’s on a case by case basis.”

Gard emphasized that Kern will review the FMDP’s application before it goes to the review board.

Annie Milionis, a FMDP member, told council then that Kutztown spent A1 million on its dog park. “te’re putting together a park for considerably less,” she told council.

The price tag of all the proposed improvements, including the perennial rye grass for the field, is expected to come from FMDP fundraisers and private donations as well as from the A344,000 in open space money that the county already has allocated to Morrisville.

The availability of the open space funding expires in 2014, a point several council members and dog park advocates noted in October 2012.

The popular 2.1-acre dog park, which opened in July 2010, is fenced in. The site is located near the Delaware River in the southern end of the borough and sits alongside the railroad tracks on East Philadelphia Avenue between South Delmorr and Riverview Avenues. ft’s open daily from dawn until dusk.

FMDP is a non-profit organization, established in 2009 by a group of volunteers with a mission to create an off-leash dog park in Morrisville, to enhance community life, Gard said.