City council has not yet decided on park’s location

The Albert Lea Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on Tuesday gave approval for the idea of bringing a dog park to Albert Lea.

The approval came after Rotary Club President Sheila Schulz and other Rotarians presented the club’s progress for the idea to the department’s advisory board during the board’s monthly meeting.

The Rotary Club of Albert Lea is spearheading the campaign and has committed to paying one-third of the cost of an acre for the dog park.

In the coming months, the Rotary Club will continue fundraising, Schulz said. She hopes fundraising will be completed by the end of the winter and a dog park completed by spring.

The club hopes to raise $15,000 from donations for the proposed park. They would like to establish a fenced-in, off-leash park where well-behaved dogs can exercise, socialize and have fun in a clean, safe environment without endangering or annoying people or property.

Schulz said community members and business leaders have expressed support.

“We’ve had a lot of positive feedback from people on this, so we hope we can raise the $15,000,” she said. “We hope to partner with the city of Albert Lea and the business community to see this project through. A community project such as this, in partnership with the city, is designed to satisfy the needs of dog owners and non-dog owners alike.”

City staff have told the Rotary Club that the city would provide signage, maintenance and the land for the project.

The Albert Lea City Council still needs to approve the location of a dog park. Different spots were discussed Tuesday evening, including near the boathouse by Brookside school and at Eberhardt Park.

Schulz said there are several reasons why a dog park in Albert Lea is a good idea, including:

Dogs are allowed to exercise and socialize safely.

Promotes responsible dog ownership as it stops people from letting dogs off leash where they shouldn’t be.

Provides socialization for community members.

Makes for a better community by promoting public health and safety.

Schulz said the ideal dog park would include an acre or more of land surrounded by a 4- to 6-foot chain-link fence. She said the fence would preferably be equipped with a double-gated entry to keep dogs from escaping and to allow wheelchair access.

An ideal dog park would also include cleaning supplies, an accessible location with adequate drainage, shade and benches, a separate area for small and large dogs and signage with park hours and rules, she said.

She advised anyone interesting in donating to call the Rotary Club at 377-0061 for more information.

In other news, the department approved the idea of a splash pad in Albert Lea.

A group of residents has proposed raising money for a splash pad at the corner of Broadway and Fountain Street, near the North Broadway parking lot.

The project will not use any taxpayer funds.