Moorestown Council Makes Final Decision On Dog Park

Moorestown, NJ -- A dog park is coming to Moorestown.

Moorestown Council unanimously approved an ordinance on final reading to set aside $370,000 and borrow $180,500 for the construction of a dog park during its meeting Monday night at town hall.

The township is also using a $180,000 grant from the county for construction of the park, which will go up at Swede Run Fields.

Council heard from both a vocal opponent of the project and a supporter Monday night.

Ed Bague argued that the park was a waste of money at a time when the township is paying for upgrades to its water infrastructure and to eliminate contaminants from its water supply, as well as projects to tear down the old library building and upgrade the municipal parking lot on Second Street.

“If I were in your position, I would be embarrassed to be voting for a dog park,” Bague told council, telling them it was their financial responsibility to vote ‘no’ on the project.

Roger Boyell showed some support for council on the issue.

“It’s a nice upgrade for the town,” Boyell said. “There are no other dog parks in the area. It would be a nice feature for the town to have.”

The project was first presented to township council in September of last year.

The park will be divided in half by a three-rail wooden fence with a metal wire attached to it. An acre and a half of the park would be set aside for large dogs, while an acre would be reserved for small dogs.

It will also include a pavilion building with a shaded picnic area.

Swede Run Fields is the largest chunk of open space in Moorestown at 130 acres, according to stemonline.org.
It provides diverse opportunities for wildlife habitat and a somewhat natural area to enhance the quality of water in Swede Run.

The project also calls for the installation of a formal asphalt parking lot in place of the existing informal gravel parking lot, with concrete in place for the handicapped parking spots. There would also be a pedestrian entrance to the park off Westfield Road, as well as water fountains for both people and dogs, trash cans, a pet waste station and an interpretive sign that explains the history of the park.