Work on Penn Township dog park nearly done, but it will not open until spring

Work on the new dog park at Penn Township Municipal Park mostly is finished, but township officials won't formally open the section to residents and their four-legged pals until the spring.

The dog park will be one of the main features of the first phase of a 17-acre expansion near the Deerfield Estates and Harrison City Commons housing plans.

The township is using a $265,000 grant from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for the project, which includes walking trails and a new pavilion and parking lot.

Last week, public-works employees wrapped up site work for the season, but the dog park will remain closed until after winter.

“We really don't want a lot of people on there until the grass has a chance to take hold, or else we'll have a mud pit,” said Cheryl Kemerer, director of the Penn-Trafford Area Recreation Commission.

Township officials already are working on a draft of rules for the dog park, which will have separate large-breed and small-breed areas.

Many of the proposed guidelines are in place in other municipal dog parks in the region, Kemerer said.

Among the 13 possible rules discussed last week at the Penn Township Recreation Board meeting were:

• all dogs must be under the control of someone who is at least 18 years old;

• no children are permitted in the park unless accompanied by an adult; and

• all dog collars must display a current license and vaccination and identification tags.

Commissioner Paul Wersing said township officials likely will adopt a set of rules as part of an ordinance.

Chris Foreman is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-856-7400 ext. 8671 or cforeman@tribweb.com.