Dayton Approves Dog Park Plan

DAYTON – At their regular meeting on Jan. 23, the city council adopted a formal proposal from the Friends of the Dayton Dog Park for the Dayton Dog Park, which is situated on a 0.6 acre site, south of the fish pond, in the Pietryzycki City Park.

The site has been leveled, dirt has been delivered, and the irrigation has been completed, Dayton Dog Park Co-chair Carol Rahn told the council.

Rahn said that the next step for the FDDP is to identify the money needed to install a four-foot chain link fence and gate, with the idea that big dogs will be separated from small dogs.

“We are open for ideas. We have quite a few,” Rahn said.

The cost for the fence and gate is estimated at between $3,500 and $4,000. The FDDP has $1700 in an account at Banner Bank, to which anyone can contribute, she said.

Rahn said the FDDP Christmas tree at the Village Shoppes has generated about $300.

Council member Dain Nysoe asked Rahn, “If the council approves this, and the park is established, what do you expect the city to do?”

Rahn asked that the city perform seasonal watering and mowing, which will cost the city around $1,316 annually for labor. Costs yet to be determined for the city are for water and fertilizer for the grass, according to the DDP plan.

The city has already donated $2,985 for labor in Phase I of construction in 2016, which was for installation of the irrigation system, and for the cost of grass seed and labor for seeding.

A community non-profit matching grant in the amount of $2,500 will help with Phase II costs, according to the FDDP proposal.

The FDDP estimated construction costs to the city for all phases of the project at $3,010.

“The city has really been helpful,” Rahn told the council.

Mayor George thanked public works director Jim Costello and planning director Karen Scharer for helping the FDDP in their endeavor. Scharer said the city will issue a Shorelines Permit for the dog park project in March of 2017.

“I think it is finally coming together,” Mayor George said. “I hope once it goes we see a lot of dogs out there.”

The dog park should be open in the summer of 2017, according to the FDDP proposal.

Also at last week’s regular meeting, the council approved the work program and public participation plan for the 2019 periodic comprehensive plan and development regulations update. The city is in the process of performing a period review and update of its comprehensive plan, which will be completed by June, 2019, according to Scharer.

The purpose of the work program and public participation plan is to notify and guide all stakeholders of the outreach process and project scope associated with the plan and the update, she said.

Scharer said that comments received prior to and at a Dec. 12 public hearing of the planning commission were incorporated into the documents.

The Work Program has also been updated in reference to the Complete Streets efforts in 2017, Scharer said.

The state Transportation Improvement Board has developed a new funding source to aid in the planning and building of streets, through use of sensitive solutions to accommodate motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians.

Complete Streets are to protect those who are vulnerable, such as the young, aging, disabled, and low-income populations who are without automobiles. The goal is to provide mobility options and create a healthy, livable community, Scharer said.

In 2015 people over 65 were 27.4% of the total population in Columbia County, and that percentage will continue to grow, she said. Having a Complete Streets policy ensures that the entire right of way is planned, designed, and operated to provide safe access for all users.

“Really, this is for everyone. We can all benefit from Complete Streets options,” Scharer said. “If we become eligible for nomination, that increases our chances of awards,” Scharer said.

The Complete Streets plan overlaps with the transportation and parks elements in the comprehensive plan, and also with the state’s safe routes to school program, she said.

The city will work in conjunction with the Palouse Regional Transportation Planning Organization and the Transportation Improvement Board over the next five months on Complete Streets efforts, in order to tap into that funding source, Scharer said.

The city council approved the timeline for the Complete Streets efforts.

Scharer also told the council that the city granted 88 building permits in 2016. “It was a record year. With Dayton General Hospital and Seneca Foods, Inc., the permits were over $5 million,” she said.

Scharer said construction value for roofs, and for the development of mobile homes, was over $1 million. “It all adds up,” she said.

Also approved by the council was the Transportation Improvement Board consultant agreement with Anderson-Perry & Associates to perform the design phase of the West Main Street Sidewalk Project, not to exceed $21,000.

New employee Connie Westergreen was introduced to the council by Mayor George. Westergreen will work at the front desk at city hall, mainly in utilities billing, he said.

Dain Nysoe was elected by the council members to serve as mayor pro tem in 2017, replacing Delphine Bailey, who served in 2016.