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Kent Park Dog Park
County Council plans dog park and Greenway trail for Kent Park
Larger verison of Kent Park Dog Park in PDF
Delaware County Council will be puttin’ on the dog – and improving the environment -- when it creates a recreational area this fall for two-legged and four-legged residents in Kent Park, Upper Darby.
County Council voted Tuesday (Aug. 21) to advertise for bids to make improvements to Kent Park, where an improved recreational area will feature a playground for families, and a separate fenced-in dog park for pet owners and their canine companions.
The new recreational area will be built in Kent Park, a 10-acre county park on Bridge Street in Upper Darby on the Clifton Heights border. The improvements and operation of the dog park will be in partnership with Upper Darby Township.
The Kent Park recreational area will also be part of a broader plan to create a Greenway along Darby Creek, which runs through Kent Park and is popular with fishermen. One component of the plan is to create a 10-foot asphalt hiking path that starts in Kent Park and extends to Colwyn.
The long-range vision is to create a Greenway all along Darby Creek, from its start at the county boundary in Newtown Township, south to the John Heinz Wildlife Refuge in Tinicum, where Darby Creek empties into the Delaware River.
“The vision is for a whole ribbon of green along Darby Creek,” said County Council Vice-Chair Linda Cartisano. “All of these improvements, from the project in Kent Park to the long-term plan for a Greenway corridor, have countless benefits including open space preservation, recreational opportunities and protection of the Darby Creek watershed.”
Cartisano said the first step is to take bids on Kent Park improvements, which will include construction of a playground with play equipment for children. In an adjacent area, a dog park will be created with a run for small dogs, a run for large dogs, benches, shade trees and the amenities necessary for a dog park including water and tools to pick up and dispose of waste.
The dog park will be a gated enclosure with a keyed access system to promote responsible health and safety procedures for the dog run. Swipe cards will be available through the Upper Darby Health Department and the Delaware County Treasurer’s Office, which also issues dog licenses.
“There is a lot of public support across the county for dog parks. These are facilities set aside for dogs and their owners to exercise and play off-leash in a controlled environment,” Cartisano said. “This isn’t just a dog issue; it’s a people issue. We want to establish a fenced-in dog park where well-behaved canines can exercise in a clean, safe environment without disturbing other people, wildlife or property.”
“As a dog owner myself, I think a dog park will be a wonderful addition to the community. Towns that have dog parks report that the mere presence of dogs has increased the safety component and deterred crime in these parks,” Ms. Cartisano said.
A dog park has the additional benefits of increasing overall usage of the park, encouraging healthy and socialized dogs that are well-behaved, and the social component of neighbors gathering with the common bond of being dog owners.
Council expects construction on the playground and dog park to begin in early fall.
The improvements at Kent Park are just the starting point for the proposed Darby Creek hiking and cycling trail, and the larger Greenway plan.
“Greenways are linear networks designed for conservation, recreation, open space, flood management and water quality preservation,” said Planning Director John Pickett. “Greenways sometimes refer to a linear park, which is used for trails, bikeways and other recreational use. But it also can refer to simply a green strip that’s preserved for environmental protection and not meant for public access.”
He said the Darby Creek watershed is 77 square miles and runs through 26 municipalities in Delaware County.