Thanks to a grant from the State of South Dakota, Pierre’s dog park is starting to take shape.
Late yesterday afternoon, a group of volunteers teamed up with city staff to plant a tree belt at the site of the future park on East Sully Avenue.
“We had a dozen or so supporters of the dog park down here helping us place trees and backfill the planting holes,” said Tom Farnsworth, Parks and Recreation Director. “Following a welcome from Community Forestry Coordinator Rachel Ormseth, the group worked quickly –completing the task in an hour or so.”
The end result was a wall made of 19 Ponderosa, Black Hills Spruce and Colorado Green Spruce trees. The line of trees will provide a barrier between the dog park area and the residential area.
“The intent of the trees is to preserve the character of the neighborhood by providing park-like scenery, a sound barrier, and a physical obstacle to identify the area designated for dogs,” said Farnsworth.
A $2,500 grant from the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources paid for the trees.
A public private partnership is being used to develop the dog park. A citizen group brought the project forward and has agreed to design, construct, and manage the park. The city’s primary contribution is the two acres of land that houses the park, as well as a water line to the development.
Next, the dog park committee will complete its site plan and develop rules and regulations for use of the park. Upon completion, both the plan and the policy will come to the City Commission for approval. A completion date has not been identified.