MUSCATINE, Iowa – The long awaited opening of the Muscatine Dog Park is just around the corner with Richard Klimes, director of the City of Muscatine Parks and Recreation Department, announcing that the site will be open on Thursday, Nov. 1.
One of the most talked about projects for the past five years has been the creation of a Community Dog Park. The off-leash park is the first of its kind in Muscatine and is located off of Houser Street across from Kent Stein Park on 14 city owned acres adjacent to the Muscatine Pollinator Park.
Citizens for an Off-leash Muscatine Park (COMP4DOGS) worked with the City of Muscatine and the Community Improvement Action Team (CIAT) to develop and implement the project. The site features a half-acre senior dog area, a 1.5 acre area for small dogs, and a three acre enclosure for large dogs. The project was one of four projects that were part of The Pearls of Progress Project which successfully pursued and received a Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) grant from the state of Iowa.
The Muscatine Community Dog Park had an estimated price tag of $243,081 which included development of the fenced areas, an entrance shelter, two water fountains, six benches, trees, a shed, and four shelters. Most of the funds were raised through private donations with part of the cost covered by the CAT grant and an allocation from the City of Muscatine.
A public informational meeting on the Muscatine Dog Park will be held from 6-7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 22, at the Musser Public Library and HNI Community Center, another Pearls of Progress project. The informational meeting will include a presentation of the rules, fee structure, and dog park etiquette from COMP team members, information about securing a permit to use the dog park, and information on city licensing.
While the park will not officially open until Nov. 1, dog owners can visit and walk the site from 9-11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27. COMP team members will be on hand during the morning to provide information, brochures, and permit registration forms. Also scheduled to be on hand is a group of Boy Scouts who will be setting up the small shelters in the enclosures.
“We encourage people to come out, walk back to the park, and have a firsthand look at what the park offers,” Peggy Gordon, one of the leaders of COMP4DOGS. “You may bring your dog with you but they will have to remain on leash on this day since the site is still a construction zone.”
The organization also plans to have a Field Day at the site with volunteers from COMP available to answer questions about the rules, permits, and dog park etiquette. The Field Day will be held at 10 a.m. -2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3, and Sunday, Nov. 11.
A ribbon cutting is being planned for Nov. 1, weather permitting. For information on that ceremony will be released later.
For more information, visit the Muscatine Dog Park page on the City of Muscatine web site.