STAMFORD, CT — A proposed dog park at Scofieldtown Park in North Stamford took an important step last week, as the Board of Representatives Parks & Recreation Committee unanimously approved a construction plan for the facility.
Plans for the dog park stretch back over a decade, and the project has gone through different versions.
In October, residents expressed concerns about disrupting wildlife at the site, so the park was moved to a different location away from a meadow area.
Find out what's happening in Stamfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The dog park was proposed to have separate areas for large and small dogs, but during a second public hearing in January, residents wanted one large dog park with few features.
According to the construction plans that were approved, the dog area would be 17,500 square feet just south of the existing tennis courts. Construction costs are estimated to be around $190,000.
Find out what's happening in Stamfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Open space would consist of fine gravel, and there would be a small turf/grass area. Aris Stalis, of Aris Land Studio, the firm that handled the construction plans, said during the committee’s June 20 meeting that gravel was preferred over grass so the area doesn’t become a “mud bath” when it rains.
There would also be stacked blocks for the dogs, a bench, and Stalis recommended including a shelter to keep dogs cool during hot days.
Committee member Thomas Kuczynzki asked if the dog park is large enough.
“In a perfect world, it would be great if we had about an acre in area, which is 43,000 square feet. The area we’re providing is a little less than half of what might be ideal. We can also go back to what is the intent, and it’s not just where people bring their dogs — it is also the social aspect of what dog parks provide, which is why the area is small,” Stalis said.
Kuczynski also had questions about noise and disruptions to nearby tennis players.
“The scenario I would want us to avoid is going through this effort and making everyone worse off, and what would that scenario look like? Well, it would mean we had formerly happy tennis players and now we have unhappy tennis players, and we have residents that wanted a big dog park and got a little dog park,” Kuczynski said.
Stalis said he believed tennis players would be “fine,” and that plantings can always be added as buffers between the courts and the dog park in the future.
“I think it’s nice to keep things open. A family may come and play tennis while someone else is playing with the family dog. It is sometimes nice to keep visual connectivity in parks, and I think personally it would serve the community better to keep it more open than to try and completely enclose the dog park,” Stalis said.
Michael Tedder, vice chair of the Stamford Parks & Recreation Commission, agreed.
“I think size-wise, the capacity of the park will serve the needs of the community,” Tedder said, noting the dog park could accommodate 25-30 dogs at a time. “As far as the tennis courts go, I agree with Aris. I don’t think it will be a nuisance or any distraction.”
Access to the dog park would be similar to operations at the facility in New Canaan’s Waveny Park, Tedder said.
Dogs must be licensed — a requirement in Stamford — and there would be a yearly fee to gain entry. Money collected would go into a fund dedicated to maintaining the dog park.
Dog owners would receive a four-digit access code to enter the facility, Tedder said. Dogs would also have to wear a special tag on their collar.
Stamford Senior Parks Planner Erin McKenna said the restricted access could be added later, and not implemented right away when the dog park opens.
The full Board of Representatives will take up the item at a future meeting.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.