What about an off-leash dog park in Cheektowaga

[OneEmerald]

As a dog owner I would like to see a dog park in Cheektowaga. With the way things are going, I don't think the town would want to invest in creating a dog park.

I think a community run, business sponsored park would be more palatable to the town officials.

Any thoughts on this?

[WNYresident]

Exactly what is needed for a dog park? Just a fenced in area?

How large of an area?

[OneEmerald]

Exactly what is needed for a dog park? Just a fenced in area?

How large of an area?

I've been doing some research and got a lot of useful information from the The Bark Yard website. You need a fenced in area with certain specifications to the entry area and gates, benches, shade and water if possible, items needed for cleaning up after your dog, etc.

The things needed from the town is the land and a commitment to mowing and trash collection. The town would not be liable for dog or owner injuries. The dog owners take on that responsibility when entering the park.

A commitment of volunteers and fund-raising is needed.

[Electric Eye]

I've been doing some research and got a lot of useful information from the The Bark Yard website. You need a fenced in area with certain specifications to the entry area and gates, benches, shade and water if possible, items needed for cleaning up after your dog, etc.

The things needed from the town is the land and a commitment to mowing and trash collection. The town would not be liable for dog or owner injuries. The dog owners take on that responsibility when entering the park.

A commitment of volunteers and fund-raising is needed.

Pick one of the patches of grass in the town labeled as a park, go to a town board meeting, suggest your idea, State that citizens will maintain it and no town employees would be needed and just maybe the town would sign it over.

[Neubs24]

The back of Stiglmeier Park along Como makes the most sense... IMO. Or Raymond Park but theres not a lot of parking there.

[WNYresident]

So in general the town doesn't have a park area people can bring their dogs to? Or is it people want an enclosed area to let the dogs run around?

Pick one of the patches of grass in the town labeled as a park, go to a town board meeting, suggest your idea, State that citizens will maintain it and no town employees would be needed and just maybe the town would sign it over.

Why sign the spot over? Just have it be known that spot is going to be used for a dog park.

OneEmerald

Is this the site you are referring to?

http://www.thebarkyard.org/

The Plan

http://www.thebarkyard.org/plan/


What do you think the total dollar amount would be to accomplish this. Not counting greasing the palms of any town board members.

[nogods]

Contact the people who organized and created the Amherst Paw Park. They would have a ton of information about the process and pitfalls. If I remember correctly they had one or two town council members supporting the idea before they pushed it on the entire town board. They also did a lot of fundraising for the project, including corporate sponsors. And they were solving a dog problem in Amherst State Park, for which the town was the designated caretaker. https://www.facebook.com/thepawpark.

If possible I think raising funds for a dog park in cheektowaga before approaching the town board would be helpful because politicians salivate over grass roots contributions. Imagine if you could raise more money for a dog park then any of the individual member of the board was able to raise from non-party connected contributions for their election campaign. They would all be sacred not to vote for a dog park.

[OneEmerald]

So in general the town doesn't have a park area people can bring their dogs to? Or is it people want an enclosed area to let the dogs run around?





Why sign the spot over? Just have it be known that spot is going to be used for a dog park.

OneEmerald

Is this the site you are referring to?

http://www.thebarkyard.org/

The Plan

http://www.thebarkyard.org/plan/


What do you think the total dollar amount would be to accomplish this. Not counting greasing the palms of any town board members.

Rez, yes that is the website I was going over. I am just brainstorming right now. I have no idea how much it would cost. Fencing would be a huge cost and park benches don't come cheap. Fund raising and corporate sponsorship is key to this.

[OneEmerald]

Contact the people who organized and created the Amherst Paw Park. They would have a ton of information about the process and pitfalls. If I remember correctly they had one or two town council members supporting the idea before they pushed it on the entire town board. They also did a lot of fundraising for the project, including corporate sponsors. And they were solving a dog problem in Amherst State Park, for which the town was the designated caretaker. https://www.facebook.com/thepawpark.

If possible I think raising funds for a dog park in cheektowaga before approaching the town board would be helpful because politicians salivate over grass roots contributions. Imagine if you could raise more money for a dog park then any of the individual member of the board was able to raise from non-party connected contributions for their election campaign. They would all be sacred not to vote for a dog park.

Thanks nogods! I do want to talk to people who have done this before. I want to have a plan, volunteer commitment, donors and fundraising plans in place before going to the board. The key is to make it so the cost to the town is minimal (grass cutting and trash collection)

I appreciate the input and hope others will jump in on the conversation.

[Electric Eye]

So in general the town doesn't have a park area people can bring their dogs to? Or is it people want an enclosed area to let the dogs run around?





Why sign the spot over? Just have it be known that spot is going to be used for a dog park.

OneEmerald

Is this the site you are referring to?

http://www.thebarkyard.org/

The Plan

http://www.thebarkyard.org/plan/


What do you think the total dollar amount would be to accomplish this. Not counting greasing the palms of any town board members.

The town is looking to cut expenses, having to maintain the 17? parks in the town costs the town a lot of money...if the town can turn over a property to a group or even just the maintenance of one of the grassy parcels in town that are called a "park" this would cut some expense.

A park without a fence is easier to maintain then one with a fence like a dog park, Because of the fence and benches it takes more time to trim and mow. $800,000+/yr is already spent on mowing town properties. See the 2016 budget for more info.

Basically with our already high taxes, you will have a easier time to get this if it actually reduces some spending for the town and has zero liabilities.

[WNYresident]

Rez, yes that is the website I was going over. I am just brainstorming right now. I have no idea how much it would cost. Fencing would be a huge cost and park benches don't come cheap. Fund raising and corporate sponsorship is key to this.

Why don't you call the group that created that park and ask how much was spent so far. That would be the most efficient way to get the ball rolling on this.

The group behind the dog park would also have to look into insurance.



Lunge by pit bull at Cheektowaga Town Park leaves 9-year-old boy not only injured, but facing rabies shots as woman flees with pet

Nine-year-old Meech Mills was holding on to the fence at the basketball courts in Cheektowaga Town Park at about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday when a tan pit bull terrier pulled its owner forward, lunged at him and bit off part of a finger.

Doctors at Women & Children’s Hospital in Buffalo were unable to reattach the middle finger on his right hand, which was severed at the knuckle, according to the boy’s mother, Amy Prieur.

Making matters worse for the Cheektowaga boy, the woman with the dog fled the park with it after the attack, which means Meech has to undergo a series of rabies shots, Prieur said. “He’s going to have to keep going back every two days,” she said. “He’s just pretty sad about his finger.”

Cheektowaga police and Erie County Health Department officials are looking for the dog and its owner.

http://www.buffalonews.com/city-regi...-bite-20160421

[WNYresident]

http://www.thepawpark.org/

Time Line

The Smith Road Municipal Complex located at 550 Smith Rd. is presently an unused, cleared area located near the Amherst compost facility. UPDATE: 9/6/10 The Amherst Parks Foundation has secured fencing and other hard goods for the park. Additionally, we have received a generous offer of free labor to install drainage and to clear weeds and hydro-seed the site. The aforementioned work will begin this week and we will have a sign up at the site in the coming weeks.

The completed area will provide one acre of play area for dogs and their owners.

The Park will include the following:
Fenced-in area with dual gated entry/exit
Small and Large dog divisions
Benches and shade trees
Natural groundcover

Development Timeline:
Town Board Approval: December 2009
Fundraising: Winter/Spring 2010
Park Construction: Spring/Summer 2010
Park Opening: December 2010

Estimated Total Cost of $30,000 to include: <------------------------------------------
Grading
Fencing
Phase I Amenities
Signage

Fenced-in area with dual gated entry/exit

I wonder how large the fenced in area is.


http://www.homewyse.com/services/cos...ink_fence.html

Average Cost Per Linear Foot Low $17.13 High $23.04

[WNYresident]

What about liability?

A: The Town Attorney has determined there is no increase in liability; it is the same as any other park area.


I wonder if Kevin could double check this.

[WNYresident]

Interesting.





I see one town tote and three other trash cans. I wonder if those three cans are for poop. That is a lot of poop.



Anyone have an idea what the brink building next to the dog park is?

[WNYresident]

Little over 800 feet of fencing giving the area about 38000 square feet.

That's pretty large. I wonder how many dogs on average use the park.