By Kris Leonhardt

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – At their Jan. 10 meeting the Park & Recreation Commission took a look at some city-owned property off of Saratoga Street for a potential dog park

“We do have a large parcel of land off of Saratoga and 24th, some of it is in the city some of it isn’t, but it is all city-owned property. The parts that are not in the city, we could annex,” Rapids Mayor Shane Blaser stated.

“It butts up to the Woodlands Business Park, kind of on the backside of the Renaissance Learning parking lot behind the building.

“We are kind of thinking that area; it is not heavily populated. That might be a good area that we could consider pursuing the thought of having a dog park there.

The land straddles the city of Wisconsin Rapids and the town of Grand Rapids

The mayor said that there are a lot of dead tress and downfall inside the area that would need to be cleared.

“I think it was an area that the street department used to drop off loads of gravel, stuff like that; but, I don’t think they have dropped anything there in years, because those mounds are full of trees, “ said Park & Building Supervisor Jake Klingforth.

“There is a large pole-shed looking building; it says 271 on top. It is a big shed that we use to store Christmas decorations, stuff like that; so that belongs to us

Commission members noted that the land would be a good due the trees for shade.

During their October meeting, the Parks & Recreation Commission discussed several areas, including property off of Sampson Street, 25th Avenue, Norton Street, and Poplar Springs Park. Some of those areas did not offer the needed shade.

The mayor and city staff will come back to the council with more information on fencing, clearing, and costs, as the commission considers the dog park project.

The city’s “Tails ‘n’ Trails Dog Park” operated at the corner of County Highway F and Bonow Avenue from 2009 to 2019. Advanced Disposal, the company that owned and maintained the land, leased it to the city for public outdoor dog recreation. In August 2019, the company decided not to renew the lease with the city.