Designated Dog Parks Will Be Installed in Farrell & Jaycee Parks
The South Burlington Dog Park located on Kirby Road in South Burlington will close on June 1, 2017. The current lease with Burlington International Airport will expire on July 1, 2017 and airport management has asked the City to vacate the area and return it to its natural state.
Farrell Park and Jaycee Park will both be enhanced to include a dog park within each. Both dog parks will serve as official off-leash areas and feature space for large dogs and small dogs. At Farrell Park, the area will be located in the green space at the entrance to the park. In Jaycee Park, the new dog area will encompass the area behind the former O’Brien House and behind the garages. In both cases, the locations will not interfere with the playgrounds or picnic areas.
This is the second time that the South Burlington Dog Park has had to find a new home, due to being located on property not under City control. Prior to its current location at Burlington International Airport, dog owners would bring their pets to the park on Patchen Road owned by UVM. In this case, UVM decided to repurpose the land when the lease expired.
Now, the dog parks will be located on City-owned property where the future can be managed.
“This is an opportunity,” said City Manager Kevin Dorn. “Over the years, we have received complaints about the airplane noise at the current location and some owners won’t take their dogs there. Moving to the new sites will eliminate this problem. The new sites are easily accessible and more centrally-located for our residents with dogs.”
At the Kirby Road location, the fencing will be removed and the area reseeded to return the ground to its natural state. The Department of Public Works will oversee the transition and components of the park may be reused, including the fence itself. The City expects to complete work by July 1, 2017.