Cheshire Dog Park Could Open in Spring

A four-year-long volunteer effort to establish a dog park in Cheshire is close to raising enough money to fence in about two acres of town-owned land on Waterbury Road.

Cheshire Dog Park President Cindy Forlenzo said a small group of volunteers has raised about $13,000. The total cost for the fence is $16,000, she said.

To bring attention to the effort and show the widespread support for the project, the group has launched an online petition. Forlenzo said her goal is to gather 500 signatures to present to the Cheshire Town Council.

“They know we’re close. We’re in the process of getting a quote for the fencing,” Forlenzo said. “We’ve taken baby steps the last four years,” she added.

At a recent Planning Committee meeting of the council, supporters asked for approval to place a sign at the proposed location to announce the leash-free dog park. The park would be built at the old town landfill site that was closed and capped a number of years ago.

Parks and Recreation Director Bob Ceccolini told the committee that rules for the dog park must be approved by the council and would be similar to those for the Farmington Canal Linear Park. 

The permanent sign at the park could be built by Eagle Scouts as part of their community project commitment, Ceccolini added. The dog park would be next to Artsplace at 1286 Waterbury Rd.

To raise the remaining funds for the fence, the volunteers have launched a project on their website where dog owners may purchase a brick engraved with their pet’s name. The cost ranges from $50 to $60 Forlenzo said. The bricks will be installed at the park's entrance near an information kiosk. The deadline for ordering is mid-November. 

Plans call for the park to open in the spring, Forlenzo said.