New Dog Park Under Construction
East Baton Rouge Parish residents love dogs. A 2001 survey showed that for every 100 households, there are 79 dogs. These residents with four-legged family members will be pleased to know that a new BREC Dog Park is under construction. The new dog park is being built at Burbank Park, 12400 Burbank Dr., which already houses 12 tournament-ready soccer fields.
This new addition is part of BREC's strategic plan that, in response to East Baton Rouge residents' requests, outlines the creation of dog parks. BREC currently has in operation two dog parks at City-Brooks Community Park and Forest Community Park. The addition of the dog park at the Burbank site will allow larger acreage to be devoted to the needs and activities of EBR's canine friends, as well as better use and maintenance of "green space" used by dogs.
Over time, grass in dog parks will tend to yellow with use. BREC Superintendent William Palmer says that having more land devoted to dog use will allow grounds keepers greater opportunity to maintain dog park green areas.
"I've visited dog parks that use a layer of crushed limestone instead of grass to minimize the maintenance required," Palmer said. "In other parks, grassy areas are rotated, meaning dogs use part of the park while another part is set aside for maintenance and grass growth. In other words, they rotate the space out." Palmer added, the size of the Burbank dog park will help BREC to rotate use and/or lessen the intensity of impact on the land used by dogs.
The Burbank dog park is being developed on six acres of land. When complete, it will include a concrete entry plaza, a dog wading/exercise pool, 1/4-mile of concrete walking/exercise path, and a parking lot. The accepted low bid of $585,200 came from Block Construction. The park should be complete in August 2009.
BREC dog parks allow dogs to roam freely un-leashed, under the owner's supervision. These parks provide an opportunity for both dogs and humans to socialize and relax in an atmosphere created just for them.
For more information about this and other park improvements, please visit the BREC website at www.brec.org/construction. For more information about BREC dog parks, go to www.brec.org/dogparks and www.brec.org/dogparkrules. You also can download this PDF file on Dog Park Etiquette.
It is the BREC mission to provide parks and recreational opportunities for all citizens of East Baton Rouge Parish.
