After several months of construction and thanks to countless hours invested by volunteers, the first dog park built by the City of Yakima is opening its gates. As of Wednesday, December 3rd, the dog park, located on a 1.6 acre section of Randall Park south of Wide Hollow Creek near 48th Avenue, will be open, even though a few final touches won’t be added until warmer weather arrives.
Work on the park started earlier this year after a dedicated group of dog lovers approached the City about building a place for dogs to roam and enjoy. The group not only helped to design the dog park, but also helped raise money to pay for its construction.
“The people who volunteered their time to turn the dream of a dog park in Yakima into a reality worked very hard to make this project happen,” said Recreation Supervisor Traci Bennett. “They really believed in the value of getting a dog park built on the west side of Yakima and pushed to get it done. Yakima is a great place to live and the addition of the dog park at Randall Park is going to make it even better for dogs and dog lovers,” said Bennett.
The dog park project involved clearing, leveling, and fencing the area. New water service was also extended to the property that is now home to the dog park. New signage and a pathway were also installed as part of the project.
Next spring, a shade structure and a drinking fountain for dogs will be added to the park. Installation of dog waste bag dispensers also still needs to be completed. In the meantime, dog owners are asked to bring their own waste bags and to use them to clean up after their pets.
Randall Park is already one of Yakima’s most popular outdoor recreation spots. In addition to the new dog park, several improvements are planned at Randall Park. The City is in the midst of the Randall Park Improvement Challenge, a fundraising effort designed to generate $100,000 in donations from the community to match large financial gifts provided last fall by two individual donors. Money from the community fundraising effort will be combined with the two individual donations and a potential state grant to make more than $500,000 in improvements to Randall Park.
If you are interested in contributing to the effort to upgrade Randall Park, send your donation to the Randall Park Improvement Challenge, Yakima Valley Community Foundation, 111 University Parkway, Suite 102, Yakima, Washington, 98901.