The Atlantic City Council Wednesday evening passed a motion in support of efforts by the City’s Parks and Recreation Department, to begin the process of securing a dog park for the Schildberg Recreation Area. Parks and Rec Director Roger Herring explained the Board thinks a nearly 2.4-acre off-leash dog park is necessary and beneficial in the grand scheme of recreational development in the area. He said it would be a great amenity to the campground (the pads and roads for which are under construction), and will draw more people to the area, much like the walking trails have done.

Herring says a fenced-in dog park will also offer safety and security for dog owners and their dogs, in a controlled environment. He says large and small dogs will have their own compounds. Dogs will be able to exercise and socialize in their respective areas, and the park will promote responsible pet ownership. He said Trees Forever will work to provide over a dozen shade trees for the area, and, a dog park would make Atlantic the first city of its size in southwest Iowa, other than Council Bluffs, to have a dog park.

Herring said the 14-to 15,000-dollar project would be paid for through fundraising efforts, and not through local tax dollars.
Fencing accounts for the bulk of the costs. Fundraising would be accomplished by applying for corporate grants, local sponsorships, and through donations from the community. Herring said the Parks and Rec Department would be responsible for maintaining the facility.

He said also, the Parks and Rec Board will work to put together a proposal for a Master Plan for the Schildberg Rec Area as an official Municipal Park, and present it before the council during a public hearing at a later date. A formal Master Plan for the area has never been adopted by the Council since discussions began in 2003. Only a general concept for how it would be developed has been followed by the City.