- July 4, 2024
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Greener grass is now at Bayfront Park’s dog parks.
Well, not real grass, but artificial turf. The turf was recently installed on the remaining 25% of the large dog park and the entirety of the small dog park.
The dog park at Bayfront Park offers dog owners an area where they can allow their dogs to be off-leash. The area is split between large and small dog areas.
ForeverLawn completed the project for a cost of about $175,000. The company uses K9Grass for dog-friendly spaces.
According to the company’s website, the artificial K9Grass creates cleaner and better-smelling areas for dogs and their owners. The knitted flow-through backing allows for quick drainage and easy cleanup. Additionally, antimicrobial technology helps to prevent the growth of harmful microbes.
Artificial turf, like K9Grass, typically comes with long-term durability and less maintenance costs compared to natural grass.
Shortly after the new turf was installed, Diane Weisman enjoyed the dog park with Kibble and Parker. As a frequent user of the park, Weisman said she liked the enhancements for aesthetics and canine enjoyment.
Originally, the Longboat Key Foundation had been attempting to collect donations for the project. But at the “Bark in the Park” event on March 1, Town Manager Howard Tipton informed attendees that the town would pay for the cost of the artificial turf and that any donations already made to the Longboat Key Foundation for the turf would go toward future projects at the park.
At that event, Chair of the Longboat Key Foundation Jim Brown said construction would start around May. The project then took until about mid-June to complete.
Tipton said that there was a benefit to the town to install the turf sooner rather than later, mainly from a maintenance perspective. He added that Public Works was looking at replacing the grass in the small dog park.
One of the top suggestions raised by residents at Bark in the Park was the addition of lighting at the dog park. According to Streets, Facilities, Parks & Recreation Manager Mark Richardson, that’s the park’s next addition, which is slated to be installed in the upcoming months. Funds previously raised by the Longboat Key Foundation — about $16,000 according to Tipton — will be used for the lighting.
Richardson said in an email that the artificial turf brings benefits such as cost savings with staff not having to maintain the natural grass. Staff won’t need to have the grass replaced as often, Richardson added.
The dog park at Bayfront Park uses an existing irrigation system to regularly wash the permeable turf.
In addition to the benefits for Public Works, Richardson said that the dogs won’t get as dirty or muddy with artificial turf compared to natural grass. This issue was brought up by residents in 2021 and one of the reasons behind the first artificial turf project.
In 2022, 75% of the large dog park area was redone with artificial turf after the project was funded by resident Irene Hess, a frequent user of the dog park. Hess’ donation totaled $123,000.
Town commissioners formally accepted the donation from Hess and the Paul Klingenstein Family Foundation. The late Klingenstein was Hess’ father and a Longboat Key resident before he died. He was also a founder of Temple Beth Israel.
The Rotary Charitable Fund paired with the Paul Klingenstein Family Foundation back in 2014 to make the project a reality. A previous Observer article stated that Hess partnered with the Rotary Club due to the organization’s community service goals and proven track record.
The project replaced failing sod in 75% of the large dog park, but the rest of the park was left with natural grass. Construction lasted from August 2022 to October 2022.
Prior to the first artificial turf installment, residents complained about how the sod was causing dirty paws and coats on dogs. A resodding project was then completed in the summer of 2021, but another was needed following the winter 2021 busy season. The resodding projects typically cost the town around $6,250 each time.
