Know Before You Go:
- Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
- Pond: use at your own risk. The water is
NOT treated and is natural (i.e. there IS bacteria, organisms,
runoff from the surrounding land, ducks, geese and dogs using
it as a toilet, etc...).
- Children under 10 are NOT allowed in the
park. This is for the safety of your child and other dogs.
- More amenities (aerator, gravel walking path,
benches, shelter, agility equipment) will come as we raise more
money. Want to help? You can donate.
Grand Opening was Friday, September 17, 2010!
Dog Park Pass Fees (good until the end of 2011): $25/dog (Residents),
$35/dog (Non-Residents) More Pass
info
Park Location
1155 SW Ankeny Road, Ankeny, IA
DM Register Article: Ankeny dog park opening
moved to Sept. 17
BLOG POST BY MELANIE LAGESCHULTE • MLAGESCH@DMREG.COM
• SEPTEMBER 2, 2010
Ankeny dog lovers, mark your calendars: The highly anticipated
public dog park near Somersby Park will officially open Sept.
3.
DM Register Article: Dog lovers, pooches have
park that opens Sept. 3
By KRISTIN DANLEY-GREINER • community@dmretg.com •
August 6, 2010
Ankeny dog lovers, mark your calendars: The highly anticipated
public dog park near Somersby Park will officially open Sept.
3.
Located at the intersection of Southwest Goodwin Street and Southwest
Ankeny Road, the 7.5-acre Ankeny Dog Park is undergoing finishing
touches in preparation for the big day. The park will feature
areas for small and large dogs, a half-acre pond and a trail.
Todd Redenius, Ankeny's parks and recreation director, said the
parking lot is finally complete, most of the trail and entry area
is done and the fencing is being installed.
"There will be some other additions added in future phases,
but we expect to open the park Labor Day weekend. Nothing has
changed from our original plans. We have stayed pretty true to
our initial concept plan that was developed in 2008," he
said.
Redenius said numerous people have worked hard to make the dog
park a reality.
"The Ankeny Dog Park will be a terrific new amenity for
Ankeny residents who enjoy being with their dogs. We expect it
to be one of our most well-used parks when it opens. We are appreciative
for the partnership developed between the city of Ankeny and the
Ankeny Dog Park Task Force and are especially appreciative of
the title sponsorship that Community State Bank provided for the
project."
Pooches must have passes to enter the park. The passes are on
sale at the parks and recreation office for $25 for residents
and $35 for nonresidents and are good through December 2011, since
the park will not be open for the full 2010 year.
Jacquie Holm-Smith, head of the Ankeny Dog Park organizing committee,
said fundraising will continue for the park's future amenities,
such as an entrance shelter, agility equipment, dock and more.
The ongoing brick sale has been successful, she said, and while
bricks are still available for purchase, that fundraiser will
end soon. The bricks cost $100 each and can be purchased at the
dog park's website.
"It's hard to believe it's all coming together in our third
year of fundraising events. None of it would have been possible
without terrific volunteers, generous sponsors and help from the
city," Holm-Smith said.
More than 50 dogs and their owners attended the recent Paw Spa
fundraiser at the Bark Zone, generating $430. Barktoberfest is
set for Oct. 9 at Chips Restaurant. Last year's celebration drew
almost 200 dogs and more than 500 people to the event.
PLANS FOR NEW DOG PARK MOVE AHEAD
(City of Ankeny, Parks & Rec Program Guide Fall 2009/Winter
2010)
Last fall the Ankeny City Council, Parks & Recreation, and
Ankeny Dog Park Task Force formed a partnership to construct a
7.5 acre dog park in Ankeny. The Council issued the dog park task
force a challenge grant, whereby if the task force raised the
first $50,000 from the private sector toward the $150,000 project,
the City of Ankeny would match $50,000 from existing park development
capital improvement funds. In July, the dog park task force achieved
this goal, announcing that over $55,000 had been raised, with
a key $30,000 title sponsorship by Community State Bank. This
summer the project will began with earthwork and grading of the
park, and later this fall the area will be seeded.
Specific features within the dog park include:
• 3/4 acre area for small dogs
• 6.75 acre area for large dogs
• 5’ fence around entire property
• 20-stall parking lot
• 1/2 acre pond
• Trails within the dog park
• Trail connections to Somersby Park
• Landscaping
• Park shelter
The task force is still raising money for the park and contributions
can be made by going to the dog park website, www.ankenydogpark.org.
Questions about the project can be directed to task force chair
Jacquie Holm-Smith at jdholmsmith@msn.com
or Parks & Recreation Director Todd Redenius at 963-3571 or
tredenius@ankenyiowa.gov.
The City plans to open the dog park in 2010 and will announce
park pass/fee information later this winter.
