By Kim Guenther
Claudius Crozet Park is truly a gem for our small town. Its open spaces, facilities and view of the mountains make it a favored spot for running and walking on the local trail network (that continues to grow!), early morning boot camp, swimming, baseball, and soccer. While we humans get the benefit of using the park day-in and day-out, what about our other family members? Imagine a fenced-in area next to the park where you could let your dog off-leash to romp and socialize with other dogs and their people!
In mid-2013, a small group of enthusiastic Crozet dog-owners got together to discuss options for a local dog park. The team considered several options and identified a 1.5 acre county parcel adjacent to the Crozet Park’s lower baseball field as the best potential site to accommodate a large fenced-in, off-leash park. The perimeter of the dog park is defined by an existing trail that is part of the future Crozet Connector Trail, the Crozet Greenway. The dog park plan is intended to integrate into the network of trails in Crozet. The goal is to provide additional reasons to use the trails and to have the dog park entry easily accessible [see map].
The dog park will provide a safe area for dogs to run and play off leash while under the supervision of their owners. Following best practice for other dog parks in Virginia and the U.S., the park will have fencing roughly five feet in height, a double-entry gate system, and a wood chip surface in high-use areas to prevent soil erosion. A combination of rules displayed on signs, self-policing by park users, and easy access to refuse bags will ensure the dog park is safe and clean. The dog park is expected to be open year-round during daylight hours. It will provide bag dispensers for waste and bench seating for the humans. The committee expects the dog park will be a great place for dogs to play and a gathering place for owners.
The Albemarle County Parks and Recreation Department has expressed their support and offered the parcel of land for the off-leash area as one option. (The county team also identified a portion of Mint Springs Valley Park as a possible additional site.) They are currently working on a conceptual plan to guide design and estimate costs. This same team designed the Chris Greene off-leash area, so their expertise is valuable. Initial build-out is expected to cost about $10,000 for the site adjacent to Crozet Park.
Landscaping and construction of the dog park is expected to be an effort shared by Albemarle County and volunteers. Some initial tasks will require professional labor (e.g. clearing, grading, fencing and building some parts of water impoundment). The dog park organizing group expects to work with local community groups to drive fundraising (under Crozet Park auspices) and to supply the labor required to clear brush and help with additional parts of build-out.
The park, targeted for opening in 2014, will rely heavily on a base of volunteers to maintain and manage the site. A leadership committee of local volunteers will coordinate with (and support) the Crozet Park and Albemarle County Parks and Recreation to ensure their buy-in at each stage of the dog park planning and the park’s on-going management.
To volunteer or, keep up-to-date on dog park activities, go to www.crozetdogpark.org. For more information, send an email to [email protected]. With the biggest hurdle—acquiring the land—already identified and provided, the next step is raising $10,000 for development. Please consider making a donation to the Crozet Dog Park by sending a check made out to Claudius Crozet Park, Inc. to: Claudius Crozet Park, Inc./P.O. Box 171/Crozet, VA 22932. Remember to note “Dog Park” on your check. Claudius Crozet Park, Inc. (CCP) is an independent, non-profit, community-owned park and donations to the CCP are tax deductible.
