SOUTH RIVER – Borough Engineer Bruce Koch has presented a preliminary construction plan for a proposed dog park in South River.
The proposal calls for constructing two separate facilities with a common entrance for small dogs and large dogs in the fenced areas that were previously the borough’s skate park and bike park, Koch said during the April 9 council meeting.
The proposed dog park would be at Varga Park with direct access off Eastern Street, according to Borough Administrator Jack Layne.
Koch said work would include putting in grass; installing a sprinkler system; lowering existing fences to a 6-foot height; removing concrete; installing a sod lawn area with a concrete perimeter; an irrigation system for the park lawn area; and installing dog park equipment, water fountains, a solar cell phone charging station, benches and landscaping.
The preliminary construction cost for the dog park is $388,250. Proposed improvements to an adjacent tot lot are estimated at $82,000. Engineering and surveying costs are estimated at $67,160, for a total of $537,410, Koch said.
“We also took a look at the area where the tot lot is and thought that if we are going to be (creating a dog park) … maybe it will work over at the tot lot in terms of having the manufacturer of the equipment at the tot lot look at it to see if there are any upgrades to any codes,” Koch said.
Council President Shawn Haussermann said $388,000 “is a little bit ridiculous just for a dog park, but there is supposedly an opportunity for us to get some funding from the county this year, so we have presented them with a couple of projects we would like to see done and we will see if you can get them to pay for it.”
Layne reiterated that all of the costs Koch mentioned were estimates.
“All of the council members agreed the estimated cost for the dog park is way too much money. We will be seeking grant funding from the county and seeking other ways to fund the construction for the dog park,” Layne said.
Contact Vashti Harris at vharris@newspapermediagroup.com.
