Access to parks to improve for Maricopa dogs, owners

Maricopa is going to get a new dog park. Or three. Or maybe 10. It’s just a question of when and where.

The city’s current dog park, located on the east side of Copper Sky, was part of the city’s sale of land to Copper Sky Innovation Group LLC, whose principals are developing four acres at the southeast corner of John Wayne Parkway and Bowlin Road as a hospital.

On Aug. 3, the city council approved the sale of about 12 acres at Copper Sky, including the dog park, for possible development of an Innovation center, for $1.46 million. Proceeds from the sale will fund the new parks.

To replace the existing dog park, the city is looking at a series of smaller parks located in neighborhoods around the city, according to Nathan Ullyot, the city’s community services director.

“From the city’s perspective, that’s why we’re moving forward with this plan,” Ullyot said. “We have been talking about this from a planning perspective for a couple of years now – about getting dog parks nearer to where people live rather than just having one centralized park. We are now asking developers to include dog parks in their plans. We are also asking the current HOAs in town to consider including space for a dog park in their neighborhoods.”

Ullyot said the city is getting a positive response from developers, with six having agreed to include a dog park. Input from the city’s existing homeowner’s associations is also positive.

“I have presented to one HOA already and am on the agenda for two others in the next couple of weeks,” he said. “The HOA boards have been very receptive. I’ve had board members reach out to me directly asking how they can help and asking the city for assistance in getting one up and running.”

Until neighborhood dog parks can be developed, the city’s existing 3-acre dog park will remain in use at Copper Sky. Once Copper Sky Innovation Group begins to develop its campus, the city will relocate the park from its current location to a smaller site, likely east of the aquatic center and south of a maintenance yard in an event overflow and cell tower area on the east side of the park. That location would be about 1.25 acres.

Ullyot said there would not be a time when the city is without a dog park, and that it has plans for two parks on city land, with probable locations being Pacana Park and near City Hall. In total, the three parks would equal the 3 acres at the current dog park.

The city has identified dog parks as a preferred amenity for new communities and there eventually could be a couple dozen dog parks. Ullyot said the city’s vision is to have everyone in town live within a mile of a dog park.

The city estimates there are 20,000 dogs in town.