Dog Park Relocation Project

History & Timeline of Dog Park Relocation Project

In early 2022, Town Staff presented to the Board of Trustees that there was a need to relocate the dog parks in the Oak Meadows (Settlers Park) and St. Vrain Ranch (Aisiks Dog Park) subdivisions.

The Town of Firestone’s stormwater permit issued by the State of Colorado requires the Town to identify sources of stormwater pollution that may discharge from our storm sewer system into local rivers and streams. Pet waste is one pollutant source containing high levels of bacteria that can impair our local waterways, making them unsafe for fishing and recreation. When it rains, pet waste and the harmful pathogens it contains runoff from the dog parks in Settlers Park and at Aisiks Dog Park, and enter into our storm sewer system before ultimately being discharged to our waterbodies untreated. To address these major sources of stormwater pollution and ensure the Town maintains compliance with our stormwater permit, the dog parks located near our stormwater infrastructure and within detention ponds must be relocated.

In the fall of 2022, Town staff identified areas within existing parks to be modified into specific dog parks and asked for the community’s feedback on these proposed locations. The proposed Dog Parks were to include: fenced areas, shade shelters, sitting benches, shade trees, trash cans, dog bag dispensers, and, depending on locations, water stations.     

The proposed locations included: 

• Settlers Park Option #1 is on the north side of the playground, and east of the main shelter. 
• Settlers Park Option #2 is east of the tennis courts, closer to Viewpoint Avenue
• Aisiks Park Option #1 is in Harney Park, on the west side of the Firestone Trail
• Aisiks Park Option #2 is east of Stoneridge Park, along the trail that connects Bowersox Parkway and Cascade Street
• In addition, a new dog park was proposed to be placed in Heart Park. 

Because there was not a lot of participation in the survey, a plan for the relocation of both parks was not finalized.   

In late 2022, the Town of Firestone began prepping the area at Hart Park for one of the new dog park locations.  In January 2023, due to neighborhood concerns, the Town of Firestone hosted a Community Meeting to hear from residents near the new dog park location. Neighbors overwhelmingly expressed their preference that a dog park not be built at their neighborhood park.  Based on this feedback, it was decided that the dog park would not be built at Hart Park, and as part of the Town’s ongoing water conservation efforts, the grass area identified for the dog park will be converted to a more native area that requires less irrigation.

Because of the experience in Hart Park, the Town felt it was necessary to pause the plans for all of the new dog parks until additional Neighborhood Meetings could be held prior to proceeding with any relocations.

In late February 2022, the Town of Firestone announced it would begin the closure process for both the Aisiks Dog Park and the dog park in Settlers Park beginning on March 1st.   During the March 8, 2023, Board of Trustees Meeting, the Board discussed the status of the Dog Park closure project. The Board directed staff to find an alternative dog park location that could be constructed quickly to allow the current parks to stay open until a new park is available. At the Board of Trustees meeting on March 22, 2023, the Board directed staff to move forward with plans and finalizing costs for a dog park at Central Park, near the Disc Golf Course parking lot. In addition, the Board instructed staff to begin to engage with neighbors in Oak Meadows and Stoneridge about dog parks in their neighborhoods.