Palmetto residents want a dog park. They may get two of them

It's been a consistent demand from the residents of Palmetto to have a dog park for years, culminating with a petition signed by hundreds of residents and submitted to the city commission earlier this year.

The good news is that at least one is coming to Blackstone Park, 2112 14th Ave. W., and will be constructed by Manatee County. The only question remaining is will the city add a second dog park or be satisfied with one at Blackstone?

The Blackstone dog park is scheduled to be designed starting in October of this year with construction to begin by April of 2019. It is planned to open in the fall of 2020. The projected cost is $120,750 and is expected to be funded in the next budget cycle.

The new park will accommodate both large and small dogs, and will include a pavilion and access to water.

Also on 14th Avenue West, just west of the Palmetto cemetery, sits acreage that the city is considering transforming into a dog park. It's often referred to as the 14th Avenue Park but isn't officially a city park. Half of the land is a baseball field and the other half is sometimes used as a soccer field.

As the city completes its review of potential parks improvements, officials have agreed that the property should not be developed for anything other than a green space.

"Every time we've talked about what to do with the 14th Avenue property we say we don't want housing there and we also keep saying we want a dog park," said Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant. "Based on that we've reached out to Bishop Animal Shelter and other entities for guidance and strategies to build a quality dog park."

Without a dog park, the city has had issues with pet owners not being responsible, for example, on Palmetto's side of the Green Bridge and at the historic Yellow Fever Cemetery.

Allen Tusing, public works director, said the 14th Avenue property already has access to sanitary sewer lines and reclaimed water, so it is an ideal location.

"There's really no other good use for that property other than a dog park," he said.

Tusing said if the property were to remain as an occasional soccer field, "We'll have to go through the expense of putting those fences back up anyway."

He noted a dog park could be economically built with the primary costs going toward parking and adding trees for shade.

"I think it's an excellent idea," said Commissioner Tambra Varnadore, who argued for using the entire property and eliminating the baseball field as well. "If you are going to have a dog park, have a good dog park and I think you need more room. I'm 100 percent behind this, if it's going to be done right."

The proposal did get some push back because of what the county plans for Blackstone less than a mile away.

Commissioners Jonathan Davis and Harold Smith said they would prefer to see if the county is committed to building the dog park at Blackstone before making a decision. The commission did provide a consensus, however, for staff to continue to work with Bishop Animal Center and other entities to determine the viability of a new dog park at the 14th Avenue property.

This story was originally published June 29, 2018 at 1:34 PM.