SALISBURY — County tourism officers are in search of public enter for a proposed canine park that would open as quickly as subsequent yr on the Wicomico County Welcome Center and Leonard’s Mill Pond Park in Delmar.
The off-leash canine park could be positioned on an roughly 1.2-acre website close to the present pavilion and softball subject. Officials mentioned the mission’s objective is to supply an inviting and secure atmosphere the place pet homeowners, each residents and vacationers, can collect to socialize and train their dogs. Additionally, it may promote tourism by driving extra visitors into the customer middle.
Senior Tourism Specialist Laura Soper mentioned throughout an April 3 public assembly that the county obtained an EDA grant for the mission. She mentioned they’re originally of the method with group enter and analysis, however the park may open in April or May subsequent yr.
“We eyed this property because I think it’s a really great location off of Route 13 for community members,” Soper mentioned. “It’s nearby, but also for those transient members that are traveling up and down Route 13 north and south.”
There is an present fenced canine park in Salisbury with a separate small canine space, benches and agility gear that opened in 2011, however officers mentioned they imagine the proposed canine park could be the one one on Route 13.
Soper and Director of Recreation, Parks and Tourism Steve Miller introduced preliminary survey outcomes on the April 3 assembly, the place respondents have been requested questions so officers to get enter on the park’s design and development.
The survey might be discovered on-line at https://www.wicomicotourism.org/blog/dog-park-survey.
“We’ve had around 300 responses already since March, so I feel that’s really good public input for the survey,” Soper mentioned.
Soper mentioned proposed facilities that survey takers felt are essential embody having pet waste luggage and trash cans, consuming water for people and dogs, some form of shade element, separate areas for giant and small dogs and a staging space for folk to leash and unleash their dogs.
Proposed facilities that weren’t as essential to respondents, in keeping with Soper, have been canine agility options, benches, communal toys, parking near the location, restrooms, landscaping and ADA access.
During the general public enter session, county resident Mikele Dahlen mentioned that Leonard’s Mill Pond Park is a favourite of her household, they usually use it for fishing, picnicking, exercising, walking the canine or taking part in soccer.
She needed to know if there was a option to steadiness the proposed canine park with the present park, so it doesn’t turn out to be unusable.
Miller mentioned as a result of they’re nonetheless within the analysis part, they haven’t determined precisely what the footprint of the realm will probably be when it’s completed. He mentioned they’re proposing to have house in between, so there will probably be room to play catch however not sufficient to have a full recreation.
“It would definitely change but as far as connecting one to the other, we do envision a connection between the park and the visitor’s center, because there is a public restroom at the visitor center and there is shade,” Miller mentioned.
One proposed a part of the proposed canine park that’s nonetheless into account is whether or not to make it membership-based by together with a utilization payment or to make it free and open to the general public. Some respondents have been involved in regards to the vetting of dogs. Miller mentioned they may require guests to comply with a listing of guidelines by signing a code of conduct coverage like youth sports activities.
“One of the challenges with whatever that policy ends up being, is that even though the visitor center is close, we will not have people out there all the time watching, so if there are conflicts, it is a use-at-your-own-risk situation,” Miller mentioned.
One key side of the proposed canine park for tourism officers is that it may assist drive extra visitors into the customer middle, thereby opening Wicomico County sights to extra folks.
“We are trying to check off two boxes here, which provide an amenity for locals but also bring a little life into the visitor center,” Miller mentioned.
Reach Managing Editor Richard Caines at [email protected].
