Voters will decide proposed improvements for Farrell Dog Park
More than a dozen people and dogs had bundled up in jackets and vests to brave a cold and windy February afternoon at the newly opened, snow-glazed Wheeler Dog Park. One and a half miles west, one lone dog and his owner roamed the city’s other park for pooches, the Farrell Dog Park.
Louie, a 2-year-old energetic mixed breed, dashed around Wheeler in his puffy, green vest with a bouncy Bernese Mountain dog. Louie loves to play with other dogs, said his owner, Georgie Rubens, who lives with him in Burlington. They used to visit Farrell Dog Park, off Swift Street, every morning but switched to Wheeler after its soft opening in October.
The Farrell Dog Park “was not great in the summer,” Rubens said. “It’s pretty exposed, and it gets very muddy.”
For a while, Louie played with a “dog crew” that went to Farrell with their owners every morning at 8 a.m. Few dogs still go to Farrell, particularly after Wheeler opened. In the corner of Veterans Memorial Park, Wheeler has roughly an acre of space to accommodate many dogs and people. Eventually, Louie’s dog crew migrated to the new park.
“You’re more likely to find a dog here,” Rubens said while watching Louie race across the Wheeler pasture with his new friends.
Farrell Dog Park has slowly lost its popularity among many dog owners, mostly because of its potholes, mud and ice that result from a mixture of site conditions. At a quarter-acre, it also lacks adequate space for a large number of active dogs.
“The parcel of land experiences weather-related water issues,” Holly Rees, South Burlington’s recreation and parks director, said. “There’s lots of mud in the spring and a lot of ice and freezing in the winter, and because of that, it’s an unstable surface for the humans that are visiting the dog park, as well as the current gate structure.”
Now, the city is trying to figure out what to do with the site to improve its terrain and usability. South Burlington voters will decide on Town Meeting Day whether to approve a $60,000 capital improvement plan, including renovations to Farrell Dog Park, as part of the city’s fiscal 2024 budget.
The plan would fund improvements on various South Burlington projects, not only Farrell Dog Park. The city has proposed upgrades there to create a safer, more enjoyable environment for dogs and their owners, Rees said.
The Recreation and Parks Department and the Committee on Common Areas for Dogs are working with the city’s stormwater services to reconfigure Farrell Park and devise a long-term plan. Possible changes are currently in the design phase as the parks and stormwater departments communicate with the state and review land development regulations, said Monika Ingalls, a stormwater project manager for the city.
The city would like to prevent ponding that results from the park’s flat surface, which doesn’t allow water runoff, and its proximity to a wetland, Ingalls said.
Despite Farrell’s condition, some dogs and their owners still enjoy the older park. Farrell tends to get bigger dog crowds at certain times, especially before and after typical work hours and on the weekends, Rees said.
“Farrell is regularly used,” she added.
Kyle Minckler, who lives in Sheldon, has taken his black Lab-pitbull mix, Cass, to Farrell Dog Park every day for the past two months. Cass prefers Farrell to Wheeler, according to his owner. Cass is a rescue who doesn’t always feel comfortable in a big canine group, so the smaller park with fewer dogs is more his style, Minckler said.
“Not a lot of people come here, so it’s a nice place for him to run around,” he said.
Minckler doesn’t mind Farrell’s condition, he added. “For the location and accessibility, it’s a good dog park.”
The Farrell and Wheeler dog parks each fill different needs in South Burlington, said Betty Milizia, chair of the Committee on Common Areas for Dogs. Wheeler is a “regional” dog park, while Farrell serves as a “community-based” spot, she said. Each park also suits different dog temperaments and play styles, she added.
The city council renamed the dog park committee to the Committee on Common Areas for Dogs in July 2021. Its mission is to maintain, organize and create spaces for interaction between dogs and citizens in the city. The move emphasized that dogs are important members of the community and deserve a healthy and safe social and physical environment.
The committee put much effort into the design of Wheeler Dog Park, Milizia said. Its location on a hill with a large, rounded fence structure makes it more stimulating for dogs, she added.
“When you see holes in dog parks, it’s because they have nothing better to do,” Milizia said, adding that Farrell Park’s small size and square shape are not ideal for dog play. “There’s not necessarily anything stimulating for them.”
“Wheeler looks beautiful because it isn’t all these corners. It isn’t square. It looks like a pasture,” Milizia said. “It’s the volunteer committee members who are responsible for that. Hopefully, we can have the same level of input into the design of Farrell.”
