Meeting seeks input about building, upgrading Carson City dog parks

The Foundation for Carson City Parks & Recreation (FCCPR) is holding a meeting to discuss interest in the community to form a group to support building and improving dog parks in Carson City. The meeting will be on Thursday, September 14, 2017, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Bonanza Room at the Carson City Community Center, 851 E. William Street, Carson City.

The meeting will be an opportunity for people to learn what dog parks are all about, to discuss what they would like to improve at the existing dog park at Fuji Park, to plan new dog parks, and to determine how to find funds for good and better dog parks in Carson City. Many people are interested in dog parks because they cannot or prefer not to get out to the hills and open spaces with their dogs. They prefer to have a fully fenced park dedicated to dogs off leash, where it is safe for them to enjoy watching their dogs play and socialize with other people and pets.

The main purpose of the meeting is to see if there is interest in forming a group to promote dog parks and recommend to the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces (Parks Department) and FCCPR how remaining funds from the former Park 4 Paws (P4P) organization might be best put towards improvements for dog parks. The new group can rely on the success of the former Parks 4 Paws. P4P went idle after its fund raising events earned enough to equip the City Dog Park at Fuji with completely surrounding six-foot cyclone fencing, divided into areas for small dogs and all dogs, and some benches, trees, and dog play equipment. The new group could use the name, recognizable logo, and seed money for events to raise funds. Donations would be tax deductible under the umbrella tax-exempt status of FCCPR.

Donna Curtis, FCCPR Vice President, said, “One issue a new dog park support group could resolve is the need for improvements at Fuji Dog Park. The park’s surface of decomposed granite is not considered ideal in windy or wet conditions. The park could benefit from a better water system, more benches and shade (especially in the small dog area), and more play equipment. However, there are little or no City Parks Department funds budgeted for Fuji Dog Park or for a planned new dog park at JD Winters Centennial Park. Space for a new dog park is planned in the proposed Lompa Ranch subdivision, but it is unknown how this park will be equipped. Other dog park sites have been considered, but presently there is no group looking into this. Dog parks don’t have to be large, but convenience is a factor, so the more, the better.”

At the Sept. 14th meeting, if there is sufficient interest to form a dog park support group, those interested can sign up. The group will meet with Parks staff and a FCCPR member to plan the next steps. Otherwise, FCCPR will decide how left over P4P funds should be allocated, for example, spending funds for dog parks under the auspices of the City Parks Department or giving the funds to a group like CASI for pet needs.

People concerned about dog parks are invited to attend this meeting or contact Donna Curtis, FCCPR Vice President, at donnajcurtis@sbcglobal.net.

Founded in 2015, FCCPR is a non-profit member-driven 501(c)(3) organization created for charitable and educational purposes related to parks and recreation in Carson City. It is dedicated to bringing together members of the Carson City community to encourage and enable public support for the continuing enhancement of Carson City’s parks and recreational facilities. The organization’s website is CarsonCityPark.org.