New Dog Park? Oswego Officials Consider Proposal To Add One

OSWEGO, IL — Oswego could soon be home to its first dog park. If the project gets approved, the site of the park would be at the Public Works Facility, located close to Oswego High School. The design and construction of the project are on the agenda for approval at Tuesday's Committee of the Whole meeting.

Statistics by the American Veterinary Medical Association show 38.4 percent of households have an average of 1.6 dogs, and in Oswego, it's estimated there are more than 6,800 dogs in the community, according to a proposal by Jennifer Hughes, public works director and village engineer.

Currently, the nearest dog parks to Oswego serve the Fox Valley and Plainfield park districts. The proposed new park would be situated in the southwest corner of 100 Theodore Drive, adjacent to PrairieFest Park.

Before landing on this spot, staff also considered two other locations for the dog park, including on the east side of the Oswego Police Department or at Venue 1012. At the police station, there is no adjacent parking available and at the concert center, the space is limited and needed for concert-goers, according to Hughes.

The park would consist of four paddocks — one at the entrance for all dogs, two primary ones each for small and large dogs, and a fourth for obstacles and training — made from woven-wire fences. The first paddock is where dog owners could remove and attach leashes.

"It is best practice in a dog park to have such an area where the dog can be under control away from the dogs who are not leashed," Hughes said in the proposal.

The base cost for the park is estimated to be $99,000, according to documents. There will also be an option to build a sunshade to provide cover, increasing the cost to $119,000. The estimate also includes a 20 percent contingency due to potential supply chain issues.

Hughes noted in the proposal that village staff have contacted multiple fence companies in recent weeks and have not gotten a return call, so part of the estimate includes material costs found on websites, plus an allowance for installation.

The funding would come from Capital Improvement Program funds budgeted in the 2023 fiscal year, and the cost could be offset by charging an entrance fee to the park or through donations, Hughes said. The estimate also doesn't include any water fountains or additional parking.

The project proposal also suggests planting trees around the dog park, since there currently aren't any. Since it would take several years for them to mature to provide adequate shade, that's where the possible sunshade comes into play.

According to the proposal, village staff would inspect the park three times a week and empty trash cans as necessary. Since the park is located near the Public Works Facility, travel and maintenance times would be reduced, and Hughes estimates about 13-26 hours per year would go toward park visits.

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