Last year, Great Outdoors Colorado approved a grant of $45,000 to El Paso County to build a new 10-acre dog park in Falcon. Scheduled to open in October, the park is a $60,000 project, with additional funding coming from the county and the Eastern Plains Chamber of Commerce.Elaine Kleckner, planning manager for the El Paso County Community Services Department, said the next step in the process is to sign the grant agreements and then solicit bids for the parkís construction. Initial amenities will include a parking lot, a 5-feet-high perimeter fence, standard regulation and identification signage and sanitation provisions such as trash receptacles.ìWe do expect the park to evolve over time, just as our Bear Creek regional dog park has evolved,î Kleckner said. ìThe Eastern Plains Chamber of Commerce and others are interested in being friends to the park. Right off the bat, we have an Eagle Scout group that wants to construct log benches, so we do expect amenities to change and grow as time goes on.îThe dog park will also feature 4,100 feet of linear trail constructed by the Mile High Youth Corps. The trail will be natural-surface-cut, which requires light ground and vegetation clearing.According to county research conducted before the project got under way, most potential visitors to the park were interested in seeing a loop trail, which allows a user to end up at the starting location, without repeating most portions of the trail.Kleckner is enthused about progress made thus far, citing the inclusion of community input as a vital aspect of the several-years-long project. The county created a master plan for the park in 2014, holding public meetings and conducting surveys. The community clearly favored a dog park, although the initial plan was for a 4-acre park rather than the finalized 10 acres.The county hopes to begin construction sometime in July and continue through September. According to grant documentation provided by the county, ìThe Falcon Dog Park is intended to enhance recreation opportunities in the area, as well as provide a safe and spacious gathering place for residents, visitors and their dogs. Additionally, the Falcon Dog Park will foster pet health and awareness of pet issues.îKleckner said a major goal of the project is to encourage local residents to live healthier, more satisfying lives.ìPeople and animals need to socialize and get proper amounts of exercise,î she said. ìThereís got to be a higher benefit to something like this, because we want to improve the area while at the same time offering opportunities for recreation.îOverall, statistics are supportive of the health benefits of pet ownership. ìPsychology Todayî published an article in 2014 emphasizing the link between animals and anxiety-free living. According to the journal, being around a dog can significantly lower cortisol levels. Cortisol is a stress hormone commonly linked to depression.The park will be located along Stapleton Road, about a quarter-mile north of the existing Falcon Regional Park. The Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund is supported by lottery proceeds, and is designed to help construct and enhance communal areas and other environmental education facilities across the state.ìWeíre excited to finally get under way,î Kleckner said. ìWe appreciate the interest from the community and our partners, and weíre very much looking forward to seeing this through to completion.î
