Two parks groups in Trumbull unite to build leashless playground for dogs

By Ed Runyan

The dog park will be the only one of its kind in the Mahoning Valley.

BAZETTA — Dog owners who had hoped the Trumbull County MetroParks board would provide them with a leashless dog park in Clarence Darrow Park in Champion are probably going to find what they’re looking for a little east of there later this year — in Mosquito Lake State Park.

A MetroParks plan to create such a place, where dogs could run free on the north side of Educational Highway near Kent State University Trumbull Campus in Champion, was put on hold last year when the state turned down the park board’s request for a $24,000 grant.

But Mike Wilson, board chairman, learned six weeks ago from Mike Grammer, manager of Mosquito Lake State Park, that park ranger Tim Cook had proposed a dog park for Mosquito Lake State Park a couple of years ago.

The state park already had designed a dog park on 3 acres west of the beach and the state Route 305 dam, but it lacked the money needed to install the 2,000 feet of fencing.

As Grammer and Wilson talked about their similar ideas, it became clear the two park systems wanted the same thing and that the MetroParks’ board had the money and people to get the project moving.

The board already had set aside $13,000 of the $35,000 cost of its dog park and was willing to use it to purchase the fencing, Wilson said.

The MetroParks also had received a commitment from Youth Build Trumbull County to install the fencing, and it had dozens of dog lovers and others willing to volunteer their time to get the acreage ready.

If the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gives final approval for its land at Mosquito to be used for the park, it could be constructed as early as this summer, Grammer said.

Grammer and Wilson said everything they’ve seen and heard suggests the Corps will allow the project.

The park would be located on the north side of the road that leads to the beach. It would be in an overflow picnic area that isn’t used much by park visitors but is close to the large parking area that serves the beach.

Wilson said the project is an example of government agencies and residents working well together for a common cause.

“It’s a win-win all the way around,” Grammer agreed. “I think it’s wonderful to be able to partner with the MetroParks on projects like this,” he said. “It avoids duplication. In this case, the MetroParks had the money, and we had the location.”

Grammer said the proposed dog park location is near the center of Trumbull County, making it accessible to a large number of county residents.

When complete, the dog park also will enhance the state park, which has 100 campsites where pets are allowed. Lots of pet owners already use park property to walk their dogs on a leash, he said, and that will still be allowed after the dog park is open.

Mosquito will become one of the few state parks with a dog park, Grammer said. But park officials at Alum State Park near Columbus, which has a highly successful dog park, will help Mosquito set up and operate its new dog park effectively, Grammer said.

Park officials already know that one of the rules that will be in place is that a dog’s owner must be in control of the dog at all times, either inside the fence with the animal or by voice commands, Grammer said.

The Mosquito dog park will be the only one of its kind in the Mahoning Valley, Grammer said. Austintown Township Park on New Road offers a one-third mile trail for unleashed dogs, but there is no fence.

The Mosquito park will feature a one-acre fenced area for smaller dogs and a two-acre area for larger ones, Grammer said.

Final details are not complete, but the park might make use of access to the lake to provide dogs with a place for them to get into the water. The area already has two drinking fountains containing spigots that can be used to give water to dogs, Grammer said.

The entrance would be double-gated, Grammer said, so that dogs entering and leaving would not mix. The entrance area also would allow dog owners to see how their pet reacts to seeing the other dogs before they enter so that they can better gauge how the dog will behave inside the park, Grammer said.

The state park will be responsible for maintenance of the dog park.

runyan@vindy.com