Peggy's dream: Honesdale Borough dog park funded by state

Peter Becker, Tri-County Independent
·4 min read
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A dog park is coming to Honesdale.

Honesdale council announced on Jan. 17 that a grant of $114,000 has been awarded from Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) to allow building the new amenity.

Councilor/Project Coordinator James Jennings said the area where dog owners will be able to let their dogs run and play leash-free will be on underutilized land sandwiched between the Borough Pool and Apple Grove Park, off Fair Avenue. He said he expects it could be completed by the end of 2023 or potentially 2024.

Jennings called it a "cool amenity" for the town, with multiple zones for dogs of different sizes, a walking path and access to the nearby Apple Grove Park and pool.

"It's just a fun way to meet new people, it's a way to get to know your dog better, to train your dog, and really take some ownership in a place that you are passionate about," Jennings continued.

Referred to as the Apple Grove Dog Park & Trail, the plan also includes additional parking with a handicapped-accessible spot, signage, a dog wash station, waste receptacles, fencing, and planting of deciduous trees. The asphalt path will be 6 feet wide.

This is a rendering done by Woodland Design Associates of the Apple Grove Dog Park planned in Honesdale Borough off Fair Avenue, between Apple Grove Park and the Borough Pool. It includes a six-foot wide asphalt trail between Applle Grove and the pool complex.
This is a rendering done by Woodland Design Associates of the Apple Grove Dog Park planned in Honesdale Borough off Fair Avenue, between Apple Grove Park and the Borough Pool. It includes a six-foot wide asphalt trail between Applle Grove and the pool complex.

According to Jennings, Honesdale Parks & Recreation Commission came up with a good plan, working with Woodland Design Associates, to create a "fun use" from what he described as a transition place for kids to go from the pool to Apple Grove.

Multiple people asked the borough for a dog park, he said. "The dog park project really came together pretty quickly," he added.

Brian Batten, owner of Fins & Feathers pet shop and pet parent to four dogs, thinks the community will benefit from the addition of the dog park.

He and another staff member gathered a petition of 500-600 names of people favoring a dog park and presented it to Parks & Recreation last fall, along with some ideas about what they'd like to see and sample park rules.

Batten said a lot of dog owners from the area travel down to Hawley to use their dog park, and by Honesdale having its own, local residents will benefit.

"Dogs love to get off the leash and really run." He said.

He and other supporters have offered to volunteer to help the borough with whatever they need to complete and maintain the dog park, Batten said, suggesting the idea of fundraising through memorial benches or trees.

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Peggy's dream

Honesdale Rotary Club held a "Pet Pawrade" in Central Park last October. Part of the proceeds were earmarked for equipment for the future dog park. The park could be completed as soon as late 2023, borough council reports.
Honesdale Rotary Club held a "Pet Pawrade" in Central Park last October. Part of the proceeds were earmarked for equipment for the future dog park. The park could be completed as soon as late 2023, borough council reports.

The idea for the park really came from Margaret Burkhead, who worked for Fins & Feathers but died before realizing the park would be approved, Batten said, adding he has her dog. "

We're all happy to see it come to be because it was Peggy's dream to see it happen," he said.

DCNR alerted the borough to a grant opportunity for recreation and parks. He said the borough has not had much of this type of funding.

"We cannot convey enough… how significant an investment in what we do as government leaders but also as stewards of this community and residents," Council President James Hamill stated, "to put an influx of over $100,000 to do what is a shared space in our community."

There was a $28,500 match which was funded by monies the borough set aside for the parks, as well as in-kind work done by the borough's Department of Public Works.

Hamill thanked councilors Jennings for spearheading the project, assisted by councilor David Nilsen and Public Works Director Daniel Brown, and Parks & Recreation.

"We have probably one of the first grants on a statewide level for Honesdale Borough aside from storm water… in over a decade, probably," Hamill said. "That's massive."

Hamill cited the dog park funding as a sign the state recognizes "Honesdale has something worth investing in."

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The Pa. Department of Agriculture reported there were 3,998 dog licenses sold in Wayne County for 2020. In Pike County there were 4,358 and in Monroe County, 13,377.

The only other organized dog park in Wayne County opened in 2020 in Riverside Park, Hawley.

Other dog parks in the region include W. Leroy Lewis Dog Park in East Stroudsburg, Barrett Township Dog Park in Canadensis and HJP Dog Park in Stroudsburg (all in Monroe County); Abington Area Dog Park, Clarks Summit (Lackawanna County); Town of Bethel Dog Park, Smallwood, New York and Hancock Hounds Dog Park in Hancock, NY.

Council approved a Memorandum of Understanding with Wayne County Community Foundation to set up a fund for these kinds of projects. Donations will pass through the Friends of Honesdale Borough Parks.

Honesdale Council met for the first time in the cafeteria at the Park Street Complex (the former Stourbridge Elementary School annex), that evening. The next meeting is set for Tuesday, February 21 at 6 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Honesdale to build dog park funded by PA grant