Photo By Senior Airman Haley Blevins | Remi, checks out the new obstacles at the dog park on Buckley Air Force Base, Colo.,...... read more read more
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ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. – A new park here will be under construction soon, and it will be a howling good place for fun.
The new dog park, which will be located in the Memorial Park area on Rodman Avenue, has been a few years in the making. The idea was conceived in late 2019 and developed into a formal proposal to installation leadership at the spring 2020 Real Property Planning Board, which is the deciding body for matters regarding the installation’s real estate and facilities.
The RPPB’s voting members include leaders from the installation’s major tenants and is led by the installation’s senior commander, currently U.S. Army Sustainment Command’s Maj. Gen. Chris Mohan, and the garrison commander, currently Col. Todd Allison.
The only issue was finding the perfect location for the pups to be able to play.
“At the spring 2020 RPPB, the board initially decided to establish a dog park at the site of a former home in the East Circle area,” said Ben Ferrell, master planner at RIA’s Department of Public Works. “However, the garrison received feedback from Army family housing tenants that a dog park at that location could become a nuisance for East Circle families, so installation leadership listened and did a more thorough analysis on prime areas that would be best for everyone.”
One major goal of leadership, according to Ferrell, was ensuring the location was prominent and convenient, best serving the needs of families and Rock Island Arsenal personnel.
“After the completion of the Eagle Point and Deer Crossing neighborhoods, senior installation leadership – many of whom live on the island – realized that a dog park would be a popular amenity for Army Family Housing families,” said Ferrell.
In summer 2021, the garrison identified several locations for a dog park along Rodman Avenue. Installation leadership chose the site at Memorial Park and the RPPB will soon vote on the siting request.
The proposed location replaces the outdoor basketball court and old playground equipment on the east side of Memorial park, which were already slated for demolition prior to the choice to install a dog park in the area, said Ferrell.
“During development on the installation’s Area Development Plan in 2019, RIA tenants agreed that the area to the east of the parking would be one of the areas reserved for new community amenities to serve AFH families and installation personnel,” Ferrell said. “The basketball court and old playground equipment was approved for demolition at the spring 2020 RPPB, and the playground equipment would have had to be replaced if not demolished due to developing safety concerns.”
According to Ferrell, Memorial Park already has more modern equipment on the west side of the parking lot, and each housing area also has its own smaller playground.
Ferrell said the basketball court was deteriorating and would need substantive investment to repair. However, for the time being, there is an indoor basketball court at the Fitness Center and an outdoor one in the Eagle Point neighborhood available for use by the RIA community.
More importantly, this is all a part of the Total Army Family Concept aimed at recruiting, retention and resilience for Army families and civilians, he said. Quality of life matters do matter, and many families include their pets in that equation, he added.
“Installing the dog park satisfies one of the more popular requests from AFH families,” he said. “The location adjacent to Rodman Avenue at Memorial Park will prove convenient for families and personnel who may already visit the park for its other amenities, and the dog park will also be within sight of the playgrounds and other amenities so the entire family can enjoy an outdoor outing together.”
Official DPW numbers show that the demolition of the basketball court and old playgrounds is expected to cost approximately $16,500, plus another $60,000 for the installation of the dog park.
Ferrell said a 2022 completion date is the current plan.
“Preparation for demolition has already begun and work at the site will begin soon,” he said. “The dog park siting will be addressed by the RPPB this fall and DPW is already developing plans for the site. Should the siting be approved by the RPPB, we anticipate construction will begin in spring 2022 and be completed soon thereafter.”
| Date Taken: | 10.21.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 10.21.2021 12:35 |
| Story ID: | 407702 |
| Location: | IL, US |
| Web Views: | 165 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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