Aurora dog park plan to get revamped

Aurora's east side will get a dog park, but probably not the ritzy $63,000 plan brought before aldermen this week.

The city initially approved the park for pooches in late 2007 as part of an $800,000 development plan for the west end of Phillips Park. It received an Open Space Lands Acquisition Development grant that promises to match 50 percent of the overall project cost.

Despite only being on the hook for about $31,500 for the dog park, some city officials say now is not the time to pursue such a facility, especially with the city facing layoffs and looking for ways to fill a $19 million shortfall in its 2010 budget.

But Mayor Tom Weisner said the city is required to build the dog park to qualify for the grant money. As a result, he sent the plan back to the city's finance committee for retooling.

"About two-thirds of the dollars, or $20,000 the city would put forward, would go toward fencing, I think an item that no one found objectionable," Weisner said. "So we had an amount of $10,000 or so (in the city's portion of expenses) where there were some items that were questioned."

Some of the questionable items included $2,000 benches shaped like dog bones and some of the agility equipment planned for the park.

Fourth Ward Alderman Rick Lawrence objected to the spending in recent weeks and clarified his position Tuesday.

"My objection was not about trying to do something nice over there but what are we really looking to accomplish?" he asked.

Weisner is also concerned that the planned configuration may not provide enough turf to stand up to the wear and tear of running and playing dogs.

City staff members were ordered to investigate Weisner's turf concern and to see where roughly $10,000 could be trimmed from the project without compromising the state grant.

"I think we will all find out that with a little bit of evaluating on this particular site, we're going to see a larger dog park in Phillips Park with the amenities that is due that park over there," Said Ninth Ward Alderman Leroy Keith, who also was initially opposed to the project. "So if we just give this a chance and let staff fine tune this, I think we're gonna get that dog park over in Phillips Park."