A Look Back on One Year of Dog Park Efforts

Happy New Year Everyone!

It has been about a year since this most recent push to build a dog park at 520 Des Peres began. It seems appropriate to kick off the new year with a brief state-of-the-dog-park post.

Why A Dog Park

A dog park will be an asset to the Skinker Debaliviere neighborhood.

1. Community: The dog park will be a meeting place where neighbors meet and work together to create a fun and safe place for their dogs to play.

2. Safety: The dog park will bring much needed foot traffic to the northern section of Des Peres, near Delmar.

3. Diversity: A major strength of our neighborhood is that it supports a diversity of residents and lifestyles.  The dog park furthers that mission by making it easier for neighbors without yards or with physical impairments keep happy and healthy pets.

The Plan

The dog park will be located at 532-520 Des Peres, north of the Old Des Peres School parking lot, on property owned by the Skinker Debaliviere Community Housing Corporation (SDCHC).

The dog park will have two enclosures, one for large dogs and one for small dogs.

There are two main components to constructing the dog park: the fence and the water connection (mandated by city ordinance). The site does not currently have water service, but the SDCHC has generously committed to connect the water when the dog park is constructed. The dog park will be constructed in phases -- Phase I will be the large dog area and Phase II will be the small dog area.

Money Stuff

A focus of the dog park effort thus far has been fundraising to cover the park's start up costs, which we estimate to be $30,000. This plan has been designed with cost effectiveness in mind. While Historic District Code requires wrought iron (or imitation) fencing, we have worked with the Historic District Review Committee to develop a plan that balances aesthetics, function, and price. The park will feature steel fencing along Des Peres while utilizing chain link along the Metrolink side. We have also acquired some deeply discounted steel fencing. Together, this has contained the fencing materials cost to a modest $9k.

At the time of writing, we have raised over $16,000!

Draft Start Up Budget

Category	Item	Quantity	Cost per Unit	Cost
Pre-Construction	Survey	1	$2,500	$0 (Paid for by SDCHC)
	Architectural Drawings	1	$6,000	$0 (Donated)
	Legal	1	$6,000	$0 (Donated)
Fence Materials	Craigslist wrought iron fencing	140	$13	$1,850
	New wrought iron fencing	62	$40	$2,480
	New black chain link fencing	254	$15	$3,810
	Galvanized wire mesh for gaps	200	$1.40	$280
	Mechanical lock	1	$250	$250
Fence Installation	Quickset concrete	25	$4.5	$113
	Power auger	1 day rental	$110	$110
	Professional installation of Des Peres fencing	190	$27	$5,130
	Professional installation of 4ft entry gates	3	$364	$1,092
Concrete	Entry and sidewalk	120	$6	$660
Water Installation	Plumbing from meter to spigot	1	$2,000	$2,000
	Plumbing from main to meter	1	$18,000	$0 (Paid for by SDCHC)
Contingency				$1,777
Construction Sub Total				$19,552
Other Up Front Costs	Building Permit	$25 + $10/$1000 * project cost		$221
	Trash cans	2	$180	$360
	Seating & Signs			$1,000
	Dog Entertainment (bowls, balls, kiddie pool)			$250
	Reserve Fund (1 year annual operating costs)	1	$4,700	$4,700
	1st year insurance premium	1	$2,700	$2,700
	Insurance deductible reserve	1	$1,000	$1,000
Other Sub Total				$10,231
TOTAL				$29,782

The other main focus of the dog park effort has been planning for the operation of the dog park once it is built.

The park will be membership-based, and all are welcome to join. Each year, there will be a process for applying, which will ensure that all dogs are spayed/neutered and up to date on their vaccinations. To ensure the longevity of the park, members will pay an annual fee of $50 per dog and members will be expected to contribute to park maintenance. (There will be opportunities for a discount in exchange for shouldering additional maintenance responsibilities.)

The dog park's expenses will be covered by membership dues, fundraising events, and sponsorships. We estimate that the park needs 94 members to operate on membership dues alone. At the time of writing, 63 neighbors representing 71 dogs have explicitly expressed willingness to become paying members!

Draft Operating Expenses

Category	Item	Quantity	Cost per Unit	Cost
Overhead	Annual Dog Park Permit	1	$100	$100
	Insurance	1	$2,700	$2,700
	Property Taxes	1	$630	$0 (waived by city)
Overhead Subtotal				$2,800
Maintenance	Grass seed	24,500	$0.01	$200
	Fertilizer	24,500	$0.01	$125
	Water	41,750	$0.01	$468
	Mowing and Trash Removal			$0 (completed by volunteers)
	Dog Tags	71	$1.30	$92
	Dog Waste Bags	12	$23	$276
	Trash Can Liner	1	$20	$20
	Toys	1	$20	$20
	Contingency			$678
Maintenance Subtotal				$1,879
TOTAL				$4,679

Next Steps

On Monday, March 11, at 7pm at 6008 Kingsbury, the Dog Park Committee will present this plan to the SDCC Board.

If approved, once the dog park has raised the required start up funds through donations and sponsorships, the dog park plans will be submitted to the city for permitting approval.

How You Can Help

A heartfelt thank you to the donors and volunteers who have helped get the dog park project to where it is today. Your generosity is what will make the dog park a reality!

If you would like to help get the dog park over the finish line, here are some ways you can contribute:

• Show your support for the dog park at the March 11 SDCC Board meeting.

• Fill out the survey on this website. Doing so helps give an accurate count of neighbors likely to become park members.

• Donate if you can -- every dollar counts!

• Become or recommend a dog park sponsor. See the Sponsorship tab for more details.

• Get involved by filling out the volunteer form or sign up for the dog park mailing list.