YAWN LAWN TO BARK PARK

By Sean Fitzgerald

“Yawn Lawn to Bark Park: How the City of Oviedo transformed a boring, oddly shaped, and otherwise unusable section of a park to a fun, colorful, dynamic space for beloved dogs to run free and their ‘pet parents’ to relax and socialize.”

This overnight success story was actually years in the making. The new Bark Park at Shane Kelly Park in the City of Oviedo was the culmination of equal parts hard work, collaboration, imagination, with a spritz of luck. The long time (25 years!) Recreation & Parks Director, Dru D. Boulware, had a vision of transforming an otherwise useless space in to a vibrant park for visitors and their beloved dogs. It has quickly become the “go to” spot for Dog Dads and Mutt Moms from throughout the community and even all over the area.

The location was an unusual shaped area within an existing park that was essentially a programing “dead space”. There were some elevation changes with some low and potentially wet areas, it was triangular shaped, it had limited shade, and it wasn’t ideal for a playing surface or a traditional playground. The Oviedo community is very family-centric and pet friendly so if it wasn’t going to work well for our two-legged friends then the decision was made to focus on our four-legged ones.

A much smaller dog park was constructed about six years ago as part of the “new downtown” in Center Lake Park in the Oviedo on the Park development. It immediately became a very popular spot and remains so but the size is far from ideal and makes it very limiting. There was clearly an appetite from the community to have something bigger and better. The problem, as it is often times, was funding. So that is where staff stepped up and made it all happen.

Parks crews got creative and brainstormed ways to implement existing items that had been underutilized, saved for another project that never materialized, or were essentially discarded just collecting dust. They partnered with Public Works and Seminole County for similar type items. Picnic tables, benches, bushes, and other landscaping was repurposed from other parks and City property under construction. For example, several palm trees that had to be removed due to a tennis court expansion project were replanted in the Bark Park instead of trashed. Giant industrial sized tires that were no longer functional on heavy duty commercial equipment were half buried in a pattern and colorfully painted to create a fun hurdles course for dogs to run through or even climb or jump over. Large concrete drainage pipe sections and culverts were being installed to create unique obstacles. Old playground equipment sections that were removed from other locations were re-assembled for multilevel platforms.

*Note: One big lesson learned was that some bushes (i.e. holly) that were moved in were potentially harmful to dogs so they had to be removed. Double check to make sure that whatever planted is appropriate.

The City did have to pay for chain link fence line around the perimeter but was able to negotiate a good rate with a local vendor once they were told how it was going to be used. Another good deal was arranged for the concrete work needed to be done as well for ADA accessible parking and pathways. Public Works was able to squeeze in some of the work required. Of course, lots of signage was needed, some water and electrical hookups, and other more traditional amenities were installed. Some of the play features were purchased but for the most part the bulk of the project was “free”. Significant staff time was involved.

Others may have experienced this before but it was new to us. It was determined to be a park within a park so it needed a new address: 499 Waggin Trail. Staff came up with this creative one that tied in the obvious dog reference (tail wagging) but also some local history since this site was formerly an equestrian property (i.e. horse drawn wagons).

Word had started to get out and about the Bark Park so once it was close to opening some “progress pics” were posted to our Department social media pages. (Shameless plug: @OviedoParksNRec) In particular, one on Facebook went “viral” and ended up with a reach of over 20,000. It is by far the most interest in anything we have ever shared before and the best part is it was 100% organic. We did not pay to “boost” it at all. The community was clearly very excited to have this facility opening soon.

That brings us to the Grand Opening on Saturday, February 9, 2019 which was kicked off with a traditional ribbon cutting ceremony at 9 a.m. involving City Council plus the key Parks staff involved. Obviously, “Who Let the Dogs Out” was blasted from the PA when it was open to the public immediately afterwards. The festivities continued until noon with food trucks, vendors, and raffles.

It was decided to require a membership to access the Bark Park. Information was distributed with the rules and regulations, policies and procedures, plus opportunities for sponsorships. In order to be accommodating to as many people as possible initially there was a two month “grace period” before the memberships kicked in and cards would be checked. We did not want to open the facility then immediately limit who could enter. It was a trial period for people to check it out before committing. It also gave them time to get the appropriate shots completed and copies of paperwork collected for submission. This also allowed us to collect contact info for families so we can better communicate with them if there were closures due to inclement weather or poor facility conditions, etc.

There was a great deal of discussion internally about the membership. We ultimately decided to just make it $5 per dog annually. We wanted to be as inclusive as possible. It is expected to increase at some point but even at that rate over $1,000 has been raised for the facility. The feedback has overall been very positive especially when we explain that all proceeds are earmarked specifically for the Bark Park repairs, maintenance, and amenities. A special account has been set up that can rotate from fiscal year to fiscal year so that it can be saved for unexpected and/or larger purchases in the future.

There has been great success by expanding our existing banner sponsorship program. For only $250 per banner per year sponsors can advertise on a 3’ x 5’ banner (or similar sized). That location alone has nearly 50% of all banner sponsorships throughout the City which includes almost 10 other facilities. Almost exactly $5,000 was raised in just the first few months. Again, all the funds raised are kept solely to benefit the Bark Park which has been a key selling point. Many of our other locations primarily get vehicle traffic so there are more total impressions by far but at the Bark Park they are for a much longer period of time. (A good example of quality over quantity so to speak!)

Now that it’s been over a year since the much-anticipated opening we have learned a lot. While it is important to keep it open as much as possible for members to enjoy there has to be regular down time built in for ongoing maintenance and repairs. Based on staff schedules and other facility operations it is closed on Tuesday, Thursday, and periodically on Sunday mornings to mow, edge, fertilize, etc. Although it should not be treated as carefully as a soccer or baseball field it needs to be shut down when conditions are poor. It could be a safety issue (note: liability) but it could lead to unnecessary damage such as holes and ruts or over worn areas if too wet. It is a tough decision many times but if in doubt, then lock them out.

Early feedback within some circles was concern about not having a separate section for “big” dogs and “small” dogs. We decided to keep the area as large as possible and as it turns out there have been very few issues. There was an additional fenced in area off the far side from the main entrance for future obedience or other training type classes. We have not finalized any agreements with vendors yet but that is another area with great potential.

During this time, we have also discovered the desire for quarterly events at the park as well. National Dog Day, Howl-o-ween, Santa Paws, Pups & Pints, and many others are great examples. These are great for the members to get together with food trucks and music. The banner sponsors and other vendors are invited to set up on site to promote their products and services. These are great ways to generate additional funds for the park by doing a membership drive and highlighting existing sponsors and recruiting new ones.

A wise man once said, “It’s not about finances. It’s about choices.” Our director likes to periodically share that quote from a previous City Manager. Ultimately, it is still about money but it changes the thought process enough to turn a “No, we can’t do that!” to a “Maybe we can do that” then possibly an “Ok, sure, let’s do it!”

Do you have the space and the desire to build a dog park? Look around to see what equipment you already have laying around. Next ask around to see who has certain skills and expertise that may be willing to help. Then pull all that together and just dream big! Brainstorm wild and crazy ideas and pare them down to more reasonable and realistic ones without losing too much of the energy and creativity.

So, who let the dogs out? You can! Get the right people together and work collaboratively toward a common goal to provide a wonderful opportunity for your community. That’s a good choice! You will be very glad you did.

Sean Fitzgerald, CPRP, CPO, has been a life-long recreation and events enthusiast growing up in Florida with Little League baseball, farmers markets, and festivals. One of his first (and favorite) jobs was at a local YMCA. He worked in campus recreation as a sports official, lifeguard, and for various intramural and club sports tournaments while earning a bachelors in Sports Management at Georgia Southern University and then continued in campus recreation at Mississippi State University and Southeast Missouri State University before moving to California and transitioning to community recreation. After moving back to Florida about 7 years ago, he is now the Events Manager for the City of Oviedo (Orlando suburb). Sean is married to Michelle Fitzgerald, a former parks & recreation professional that has switched to campus recreation at University of Central Florida. Together they have two sons (Rylan, 15, Keltan, 12), two dogs (Murphy and Hudson), and two cats (Chipper and Maddux). Sean can be reached at: sfitzgerald@cityofoviedo.net | www.cityofoviedo.net.

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