Wilsonville Dog Run Update

​Lots of ideas were welcomed last night at the public info meeting located at the Wilsonville Community Center regarding the Wilsonville Memorial Park Dog Run.

Did you know based on the size and design of the park, it is designated as a Dog Run instead of a Dog Park. The desire of the Wilsonville Parks and Recreation Department is to have a place where dogs can run and run and...(you get the idea). 

​The timeline for the new Dog Run located next to the Community Garden off of SW Schroeder Way has been extended, with construction beginning July 2019 (new fiscal year for Wilsonville) and completion by end of this year/beginning of 2020 due to budget limits. There is still talks of reinforcing the current pedestrian bridge to allow vehicles to access the park from SW Kolbe Lane.

The Parks and Recreation Department was very warm and welcoming at last night’s meeting and encouraged participants to speak up and offer suggestions regarding design, and amenities. They plan to keep the park similar in size to the original location, which will include a small dog area and a large dog area. Both Dog Runs will be separated by a walking trail to allow smaller dogs the opportunity to play without fear of big dogs directly on the other side of the fence. The department will be installing a single stall bathroom and a dog washing station. An attendee asked if the water would be warm in order to use year round and the department said they would look into that. The department also stated that they do not plan to have the large gate like the old park does since it can pose a risk to the dogs in the park being able to run out of the park when someone is coming or going through it. Instead the new location will only have double entry gates. Additionally, there is a plan to incorporate benches and a shelter, just like the original location. They are also aware of the drainage issue surrounding the water fountain in the middle of the park and are currently brainstorming ideas as to minimize water and mud. One idea is to possibly elevate the fountain on a mound of soil to allow water to drain down.

Participants at the meeting were grateful for the opportunity to share their ideas and provided the following suggestions:

• Add Trees inside the new location to provide shade
• Community Bulletin board to post lost pet flyers, community events and such
• Dog play structures such as a bridge, large boulders to climb on, or a tunnel to run through
• Dog water fountain that would be built into the human water fountain

The Parks and Recreation Department has a desire to create a “Bark Board”, a Dog Run advocacy group. The group, comprised of volunteers, would meet once a month and help with maintenance, report issues, and possibly volunteer at events.

If you have any suggestions or comments about the development of the new Dog Run, the city is encouraging residents to contact Mike McCarty (Parks and Recreation Director) at 503-570-1579 or mccarty@ci.wilsonville.or.us 

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