Dogs in the Town of Colonie will soon have their own spot to frolic.
Colonie Town Supervisor Paula Mahan on Wednesday, July 31, announced the town is constructing two dog parks, with one at the Colonie Mohawk River Park and the other on town property adjacent to the Colonie Town Golf Course.
“Many residents have asked to have dog parks in the town, and I am very pleased to announce that we are planning to create two parks for town dog owners,” Mahan said in a statement. “I am also pleased that through public-private cooperation, we will be able to provide the parks at no additional cost to our residents.”
The dog parks will provide a place for canines to run unleashed within a fenced-in area. There will be a covered shelter for dog owners to stay dry and avoid the elements. Each park will also have two separated fenced enclosures, with a larger area for bigger dogs and another for smaller dogs.
“The idea is that you don’t have small dogs kind of being frightened or intimidated by the bigger dogs,” Sara Wiest, town spokeswoman, said.
The dog parks will be developed with donated material and built by town employees. Clough Harbour & Associates donated engineering work for the parks and Waste Connections will be providing fencing for the Mohawk River Park location, with a fencing donation to be finalized for the second park.
“In the pre-planning stage, we looked at dog parks in other municipalities and surrounding municipalities to see what is required and how they operate,” Wiest said. “It seems certainly like a doable project, and we have parcels that we think will lend them very well to those parks.”
Residents interested in using the dog parks will be required to register their dogs with the town clerk and pay an annual fee, which Wiest said has not been determined. She said fees at other municipalities tend to be around $30 to $35 annually.
Registered dogs will receive an identification tag that must be worn on their collars while in the park. Dog owners must also provide proof their dogs have received a rabies vaccination.
Wiest said people appear to generally be “very respectful” of the parks, and the town does not believe enforcing registration will be a problem.
“There won’t be actual dedicated staff at the dog parks, but both of those parks … have existing staff who will be able to check in on those parks and be available if there are any problems,” Wiest said.
The Mohawk River Park’s dog park will be located just beyond the entrance gate on a large parcel of land that does not currently have any dedicated usage. This location is also adjacent to a parking lot that is not heavily used, she said.
The other dog park being developed next to the town golf course is where two tennis courts were located, with a parking lot and the park replacing the courts.
The Mohawk River Park dog area is planned to open later this year in the fall and the other park is expected to be open in the spring of next year. Dogs using the parks will have to be accompanied by someone no younger than 16 years old.