Oswego trustees discuss possible new locations for Happy Tails Dog Park

As Oswego continues to work on plans to build a bigger public works facility to keep up with the village’s growing needs, officials are looking at possible new locations for the village’s dog park.

The village’s Happy Tails Dog Park opened in August 2022 on 1.5 acres next to the Oswego Public Works facility at 100 Theodore Drive.

Possible new locations for the dog park include the area along the BNSF tracks next to the village’s Venue 1012 outdoor amphitheater, a vacant two-acre parcel east of the Oswego police station on Woolley Road and a four-acre area at the Hunt Club water tower property.

The issue was discussed at the June 24 Oswego Committee of the Whole meeting.

“Staff has evaluated three potential relocation sites,” Oswego Public Works Director Curt Cassidy said in addressing village trustees.

Village President Ryan Kauffman said he would like the village to keep the dog park but relocate it.

“Now that the village has provided an amenity for the community, I would really hate to see us take that away,” he said. “I just would like to see us keep it and move it.”

Village trustees agreed with him. Village trustee Karen Novy thought the Hunt Club water tower property would be the best location for the dog park.

‘What I like about the Hunt Club water tower property is that it has a four acre area," Novy said. “And what I don’t like about our current dog park is I think it is too small. I would like to see it bigger.”

Village trustee Jennifer Hughes, who previously was Oswego’s public works director, designed the village’s dog park. She said the site was chosen for the park in part because of the availability of parking and the ability to monitor the dog park.

Hughes said the property near Venue 1012 could be a suitable site for a new dog park. But she said a decision would have to be made on whether to allow dogs at the park during concerts at Venue 1012.

“So now you have that other side issue you have to deal with,” she said.

Hughes said she could also support moving the dog park to the Hunt Club site.

Village trustees also floated the idea of operating the dog park on land owned by the Oswegoland Park District if an agreement could be reached between the village and the park district.

“They have much more public space than we do,” village trustee Karin McCarthy-Lange said. “It might just open up some other options.”

Village Administrator Dan Di Santo said the village could ask the current card owners who use the village’s dog park what options they would prefer.

Di Santo said the Venue 1012 site would not be a good site if the village wants to make the dog park bigger than it is.

“There’s not much space out there, probably not even half an acre of available land,” he said.

Oswego Police Chief Jason Bastin told village trustees that an evidence garage will soon be built on part of the police department’s parking lot.

“That essentially is eliminating all of our future extra parking spaces in our secure lot,” he said.

Bastin said the department down the road might need the vacant two acre parcel east of the police station to build another secure parking lot for the additional police vehicles the department will need as the village continues to grow.

Plans are to continue to discussion at a future meeting.