Lewes dog park design gets stamp of approval

Dog owners across the Cape Region are rejoicing, as Lewes Unleashed has cleared its final hurdle in building Sussex County's first dog park. If all goes to plan, the park is expected to open on National Dog Day Aug. 26.

The design for the 4.5-acre park was unanimously approved by Lewes Mayor and City Council at its Feb. 9 meeting. The park will be built off Samantha Drive within the recently named Great Marsh Park. The City of Lewes awarded Lewes Unleashed a sublease within a larger 66-acre parkland area to build the dog park. The land is owned by the state, is leased to Lewes and can be used only for recreational purposes.

Lewes Unleashed Chair Jayne Abercrombie said the park will be spacious, offering three areas for dogs and their owners – a 2.8-acre general area, .7-acre space for small and shy dogs and a .7-acre area for events and training.

To develop the plan Abercrombie and other members of the group traveled to dog parks throughout the state to get ideas.

“Our vision is to do something much more than the dog parks we've seen,” she said. “This is an opportunity to do something very special.”

The park will be built in phases. First, clearing the space. Landscape architect Rodney Robinson walked through the area recently with Lewes Unleashed volunteers and marked 88 trees they wish to retain, including a persimmon grove, loblolly pines and other native trees. All others, including all invasive species, will be removed.

Next, work will begin to build galvanized no-climb horse fencing around the perimeter of the park and to demarcate the three interior areas. At the entrance, there will be a bullpen, an area where owners can unleash their dogs before letting them loose in the park. That area is expected to be heavily used, so sturdier and stronger materials are planned.

Later phases will add benches, water stations, a gazebo and other features.

Of all the parks Abercrombie and her peers visited, she said, most were about a half acre to an acre in size. Some are as big as 8 acres, which she says is too big. At 4.5 acres, she said, the Lewes park is on the larger size, but still manageable.

“As dog parks go, ours is pretty spacious,” she said.

Abercrombie said it is difficult to estimate how heavily the park will be used once opened, but she expects it to become a destination, with dog owners from the Cape Region, people visiting the area and dog lovers who may not currently have a dog.

Once up and running, Abercrombie said, the park could be a prime location for many dog-related events, such as police dog demonstrations, agility competitions and other canine-related activities.

About 10 feet outside the fences will be cleared and maintained by Lewes Unleashed, but the areas around the park will remain wooded. The nearest property is more than 260 feet away, Abercrombie said, so she doesn't expect unhappy neighbors. Noise will not be an issue, she said.

“Dog parks aren't loud,” she said. “Bored dogs bark. You don't get that at a dog park.”

Group sinks teeth into fundraising

Lewes Unleashed has developed a $110,000 construction budget to build the state's only dog park operated by an advocacy group. A fundraising campaign kicked off in January and has already collected about $18,000, fundraising Chairman Tom McGlone said. In addition to individual donations, Lewes Unleashed is also seeking corporate sponsors.

One Top Dog of Lewes sponsorship title will be awarded for a $20,000 donation. Two sponsorships are available for the Tall Dog title with $10,000 donations as well as titles of Founding Dogs for $5,000 and Pups for $1,000 donations.

Private donations may be made to Lewes Unleashed, P.O. Box 406, Lewes, DE 19958. Donations are tax deductible through the Greater Lewes Foundation.

The first scheduled fundraising event will be a daylong workshop centered around dog-related topics. The event is slated for Saturday, March 28, at the Lewes Public Library, and is expected to be $75.

Once the park is operational, McGlone said, he expects ongoing maintenance costs to be about $20,000 annually. To pay for upkeep, he said, Lewes Unleashed will likely charge an annual user fee of $50. The group is still ironing out details for a fee that may allow shorter-term access for part-time residents or dog owners who may be visiting the area on vacation.

When everything is worked out and the park is open, McGlone said, he expects it to be a big hit.

“In our area, you don't have a place where you can legally let dogs off the leash, so you're essentially breaking the law,” he said, noting he has two Jack Russell terriers. “I have high-energy dogs that need lots of walking and a place to run around. There is no place to allow them to do that.”

Dog parks are also great places for people to mingle and talk about common interests, he said.

“It's a great opportunity to meet neighbors and people in the community because dog parks offer that social element for owners as well as dogs,” he said.

For more information, go to www.lewesunleashed.org, email dogpark@lewesunleashed.org or find the group on Facebook.