Kaukauna moves forward with dog park

By J.E. Espino
Post-Crescent staff writer

KAUKAUNA — International Paper’s pending sale of its Fox Valley operations made one thing clear for the Kaukauna Recreation Department about the prospects of an off-leash dog park.

If the city meant to have an exercise area for pets, it was probably not going to be at the Thilmany landfill owned by IP along Haas Road and County Z. A review of eight sites last June pointed in that direction for the Board of Public Works, which is made up of the entire Common Council.

On Monday, the Board of Public Works sided with a dog park panel’s original recommendation, unanimously approving, 6-0, to lay groundwork at a site between Horseshoe Valley Park and the Konkapot Trail, and on Tuesday it cleared the final hurdle when the Common Council voted 8-0 to approve the project.

“This will be an urban dog park. We’re happy people will be able to walk to it,” said Gary Landreman, the department’s director.

The park would be developed on five acres of Horseshoe Valley Park and operate year-round. Opening is projected in late summer or early fall to allow time to organize a volunteer group for labor, hold fund-raisers and contact a wetland specialist.

Once a week, Casey and Isabel, two yellow Labradors, get a treat from their owner, Tracy Rogers of Kaukauna.

They get to scamper through the dog park in Oshkosh. As soon as the proposed site opens just a few blocks from his home and business CR-IT Computer Services, expect to see them there often. It’ll be the only place in the city Rogers has encountered where the dogs won’t necessarily be on a leash.

“When you see the people, you see the dogs at the park, they are all good citizens,” he said.

He finds such sites like the Outagamie County Pet Exercise area on French Road, off County OO, are the most used of parks.

Landreman said costs for the project are expected to stay low. Mature trees at the park already provide enough shaded areas. A parking area will be created off Dodge Street. The city will not need to make additional expenses for fence, either. In cooperation with public works employees, 6- to 8-foot-high fences at the defunct Fox Valley Greyhound Park will be disassembled and installed at the site.

Underbrush would need to be removed.

If a low spot in the park is identified as a wetland, the department would fence the area to prevent animals from getting in.

The board directed Landreman to explore ideas to finance the project, including consideration of user fees.

“We want to make sure this does not cost taxpayers anything,” Landreman said, noting how he will report back to the council with costs and suggestions to finance the project.

Rogers said the benefit of a dog park isn’t just for pets.

“Dog parks are great for people because they can meet with others and talk about their dogs,” he said.

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